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Frank  on  the  Lo^wer 
Mississippi 


By 

HARRY  CASTLEMON 

Author   of  "FRANK    THE    YOUNG    NATURALIST, 
"FRANK    ON    THE    PRAIRIE,"    ETC.,  ETC. 


M.  A.   DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


M.  A.    DONOH  U  E   &t   COMPANY 

PRINTERS   AND    BINDERS 

407.429    DEARBORN    STREET 

CH  ICAGO 


SRLF 


UBL      Oc/CC\i302 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  New  Paymaster 9 

II.  A  Night  Expedition 30 

III.  Archie  in  a  Predicament 46 

IV.  A  Mark  for  the  Union 61 

V.  A  Run  for  Life 79 

VI.  Frank  Turns  Detective 97 

VII.  Frank's  First  Command 114 

VIII.  An  Unlucky  Fight 133 

IX.  Up  the  Washita • 147 

X.  The  Promotion 166 

XI.  The  Rival  Spies 178 

XII.  A  Scouting  Party 200 

XIII.  Tom  the  Coxswain 213 

XIV.  A  Rebel  Trick 231 

XV.  Honorably  Discharged 244 


FRANK  ON  THE 
LOWER   MISSISSIPPI 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   NEW   PAYMASTER. 

ViCKSBURG  liad  fallen,  and  the  army  had 
marched  in  and  taken  possession  of  the  city.  How 
Frank  longed  to  accompany  it,  that  he  might  see 
the  inside  of  the  rebel  stronghold,  which  had  so 
long  withstood  the  advance  of  our  fleet  and  army! 
He  stood  leaning  against  one  of  the  monster 
guns,  which,  at  his  bidding,  had  spoken  so  often 
and  so  effectively  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  for 
two  hours  watched  the  long  lines  of  war-worn 
soldiers  as  they  moved  into  the  works.  At  length 
a  tremendous  cheer  arose  from  the  city,  and 
Frank  discovered  a  party  of  soldiers  on  the  cupola 
of  the  court-house,  from  which,  a  few  moments 
afterward,  floated  the  Stars  and  Stripes.    Then 

9 


10         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

came  faintly  to  his  ears  the  words  of  a  famihar 
song,  which  were  caught  up  by  the  soldiers  in 
the  city,  then  by  those  who  were  still  marching 
in,  and  "We'll  rally  round  the  flag,  boys,"  was 
sung  by  an  immense  choir.  The  rebels  in  the 
streets  gazed  wonderingly  at  the  men  on  the  spire, 
and  listened  to  the  song,  and  the  triumphant 
shouts  of  the  conquering  army,  which  proclaimed 
the  beginning  of  the  downfall  of  their  confederacy. 

To  Frank,  it  was  one  of  the  proudest  moments 
of  his  life — a  sight  he  would  not  have  missed  to 
be  able  to  float  at  the  mast-head  of  his  vessel 
the  broad  pennant  of  the  admiral.  All  he  had 
endured  was  forgotten;  and  when  the  Old  Flag 
was  unfurled  in  the  air  which  had  but  a  short 
time  before  floated  the  "  stars  and  bars,"  he  pulled 
off  his  cap  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

Having  thus  given  vent  to  his  feelings  of  exul- 
tation, in  obedience  to  orders,  he  commenced 
the  removal  of  his  battery  on  board  the  Trenton. 
It  was  two  days'  work  to  accomplish  this,  but 
Frank,  who  was  impatient  to  see  the  inside  of 
the  fortifications,  worked  with  a  will,  and  finally 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         U 

the  battery  was  mounted  in  its  old  position.  On 
the  following  day,  the  Trenton  moved  down  the 
river,  and  came  to  anchor  in  front  of  Vicksburg. 
Shore  liberty  was  granted,  and  Frank,  in  company 
with  several  of  his  brother  officers,  strolled  about 
the  city.  On  every  side  the  houses  bore  the 
marks  of  Union  shot  and  shell,  and  the  streets 
were  blocked  with  fortifications,  showing  that 
had  the  city  been  taken  by  storm,  it  was  the  inten- 
tion of  the  rebels  to  dispute  every  inch  of  the 
groimd.  Every  thing  bore  evidence  to  the  fact 
that  the  fight  had  been  a  most  desperate  one; 
that  the  rebels  had  surrendered  only  when  they 
found  that  it  was  impossible  to  hold  out  longer. 
In  some  places  the  streets  ran  through  deep 
cuts  in  the  bank,  and  in  these  banks  were  the 
famous  "gopher  holes."  They  were  caves  dug 
in  the  ground,  into  which  a  person,  if  he  happened 
to  hear  a  shell  coming,  might  run  for  safety. 
Outside  the  city,  the  fortifications  were  most 
extensive;  rifle-pits  ran  in  every  direction,  flanked 
by  strong  forts,  whose  battered  walls  attested 
the  fury  of  the  iron  hail  that  had  been  poured 


12         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

iijxjn  tliL'Ui.  It  was  night  before  Frank  was 
aware  of  it,  so  interested  was  he  in  every  thing 
about  him,  and  he  returned  on  board  his  vessel, 
weary  with  his  long  walk,  but  amply  repaid  by 
seeing  the  inside  of  what  its  rebel  occupants  had 
called  "the  Gibraltar  of  America," 

During  the  next  two  days,  several  vessels  of 
the  squadron  passed  the  city,  on  their  way  to 
new  fields  of  action  further  down  the  river.  One 
of  them — the  Boxer,  a  tin-clad,  mounting  eight 
guns — had  Frank  on  board.  He  had  been  de- 
tached from  the  Trenton,  and  ordered  to  join  this 
vessel,  which  had  been  assigned  a  station  a  short 
distance  below  Grand  Gulf.  As  usual,  lu^  had  no 
difliculty  in  becoming  uc(iuainted  with  his  new 
messmates,  and  he  soon  felt  perfectly  at  home 
among  them.  He  found,  as  he  had  done  in  every 
other  mess  of  which  he  had  been  a  member,  that 
there  was  the  usual  amount  of  wrangling  and  dis- 
puting, and  it  amused  him  exceedingly.  All  the 
mess  seemed  to  be  indignant  at  the  caterer,  who 
did  not  appear  to  stand  very  high  in  their  esti- 
mation.    The  latter,  he  learned,  had   just  made 


rRAXK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.  13 

an  "assessment"  upon  the  niet^s  to  the  amount 
of  ten  dollars  for  each  member;  and  as  there  was 
no  paymaster  on  board,  the  officers  had  but  very 
little  ready  money,  and  were  anxious  to  know 
where  all  the  funds  paid  into  the  treasury  went  to. 
He  also  found  that  the  caterer's  authority  was 
not  as  much  respected  as  he  had  a  right  to  claim, 
for  during  the  very  first  meal  Frank  ate  in  the 
mess,  a  dispute  arose  which  threatened  for  a  time 
to  end  in  the  whole  matter  being  carried  before 
the  captain. 

One  of  the  members  of  the  mess,  \^■ho  was  tem- 
porarily attached  to  the  vessel,  was  a  [)ilot  who 
had  been  j^ressed  into  the  service.  He  was  a 
genuhie  relx-l,  and  fre([uently  said  that  he  was 
called  a  traitor  l)ecause  he  was  in  favor  of  allow- 
ing the  South  to  "peaceably  withdraw  from  the 
Union."  The  doctor,  a  little,  fat,  jolly  man,  and 
a  thorough  Unionist,  who  b(;lieved  in  handling 
all  rebels  without  gloves,  took  u})  the  sword,  and 
the  debate  that  followed  was  long  and  stormy. 
The  pilot,  as  it  proved,  hardly  knew  the  reasons 
why  the  South  had  attempted  to  secede,  and  was 


11         Fh'ANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

constantly  clinching  his  arguments  by  saying, 
"Men  who  know  more,  and  who  have  done  more 
fighting  during  this  war  than  you.  Doctor  Brown, 
say  that  they  have  a  right  to  do  so."  The  debate 
waxed  hotter  and  hotter,  until  some  of  the  other 
members  of  the  mess  joined  in  with  the  doctor 
against  the  pilot,  and  the  caterer,  thinking  that 
the  noise  the  disputants  made  was  unbecoming 
the  members  of  a  well-regulated  mess,  at  length 
shouted : 

"Silence!  Gentlenien,  hereafter  talking  poli- 
tics in  this  wardroom  is  strictly  prohibited," 

"Eh?"  ejaculated  the  doctor,  who  was  thor- 
oughly aroused,  "do  you  expect  us  to  sit  here 
and  listen  to  a  conscript  running  down  the  Gov- 
ernment— a  man  who  never  would  have  entered 
the  service  if  he  had  not  been  compelled  to  do 
so?  No,  sir!  I  wouldn't  hold  my  tongue  under 
such  circumstances  if  all  the  six-foot-four  caterers 
in  the  squadron  should  say  so.  You  are  not  a 
little  admiral,  to  come  down  here  and  hoist  your 
broad  pennant  in  this  mess-room." 

The  caterer  was  astounded  ^'hen  he  found  his 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         15 

authority  thus  set  at  defiance,  and  without  further 
parley  he  retired  to  his  room;  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments returned  with  the  books,  papers  and  the 
small  amount  of  money  that  belonged  to  the 
mess;  laying  them  on  the  table,  he  said: 

"Gentlemen,  you  will  please  elect  another 
caterer." 

The  debate  was  instantly  hushed,  for  not  one 
member  of  the  mess,  besides  the  caterer  just 
resigned,  could  have  been  hired  to  take  the 
responsibility  of  managing  affairs.  When  the 
officers  had  finished  their  dinner,  they  walked 
carelessly  out  on  deck,  as  if  the  question  of  where 
the  next  meal  was  to  come  from  did  not  trouble 
them  in  the  least.  Nothing  was  done  toward  an 
election;  no  one  took  charge  of  the  books  or 
papers,  and  when  the  table  was  cleared  away 
they  were  thrown  unceremoniously  under  the 
water-cooler.  The  money,  however,  was  taken 
care  of  by  the  doctor.  Dinner-time  came,  and 
when  Frank,  tired  and  hungry,  was  relieved  from 
the  deck,  he  inquired  what  was  to  be  had  to  eat. 

"There's   nothing   been    done    about    it   yet," 


16         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER.  MISSISSIPPI. 

answered  the  officer  who  reheved  him.  "The 
steward  went  to  several  of  the  members  of  the- 
mess,  and  asked  what  they  wished  served  up; 
but  they  told  him  that  they  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  caterer's  business,  and  the  consequence 
is,  if  you  want  any  thing  to  eat,  you  will  have 
to  go  into  the  pantry  and  help  yourself." 

Frank  was  a  good  deal  amused  at  the  obstinacy 
displayed  by  the  different  members  of  the  mess, 
and  wondered  how  the  affair  would  end.  The 
mess  could  not  long  exist  without  some  one  to 
take  charge  of  it;  but  for  himself  he  was  not  at 
all  concerned.  He  had  paid  no  initiation  fee, 
because  no  one  had  asked  him  for  it,  and  he 
knew  that  as  long  as  there  were  provisions  in  the 
paymaster's  store-rooms,  there  was  no  danger 
but  that  he  would  get  plenty  to  eat.  He  found 
three  or  four  officers  in  the  pantry  making  their 
dinner  on  hard-tack,  pickles,  and  raw  bacon. 
They  were  all  grumbling  over  the  hard  fare,  but 
not  one  of  them  appeared  willing  to  assume  the 
office  of  caterer. 

Things  went  on  in  this  way  for  nearly  a  week, 


FRANK  ON  ■IHE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         17 

(during  which  time  Ibey  hn<.l  arrived  at  their 
{station),  and  the  doctor,  who  Avas  fond  of  good 
hving,  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  Avent  to  the 
caterer  who  had  resigned,  and,  after  consitler- 
able  urging,  and  a  solemn  promise  that  politics 
should  not  again  be  discussed  in  the  mess,  the 
latter  was  persuaded  to  resiune  the  management 
of  affairs.  The  change  from  hard  crackers  and 
pickles  to  nice  w-arm  meals  was  a  most  agreeable 
one,  and  the  jolly  doctor,  according  to  promise, 
was  very  careful  what  questions  were  brought 
up  before  the  mess  for  discussion. 

By  this  time,  as  we  have  before  remarked,  the 
Boxer  had  arrived  at  her  station.  Her  crew 
thought  they  were  now  about  to  lead  a  life  of 
idleness  and  inactivity,  for  not  a  rebel  had  they 
seen  since  leaving  Vicksburg.  But  one  morning, 
while  the  men  were  engaged  in  washing  off  the 
forecastle,  they  were  startled  by  a  roar  of  mus- 
ketry, and  three  of  the  sailors  fell  dead  upon  the 
deck. 

The  fight  that  followed  continued  for  two  hours, 
the  rebels  finally  retiring,  not  because  thev  had 


18         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

been  worsted,  but  for  the  reason  that  they  ha(J 
grown  weary  of  the  engagement.  This  was  the 
commencement  of  a  scries  of  attacks  which  proved 
to  be  the  source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  crew 
of  the  Boxer.  The  guerrillas  would  appear  when 
least  expected,  and  the  levee  afforded  them  a 
secure  hiding-i)lace  from  which  they  could  not 
be  driven,  either  with  big  guns  or  small  arms. 
They  were  fatal  marksmen,  too;  and  during  the 
week  following,  the  Boxer's  crew  lost  ten  men. 
One  rebel  in  particular  attracted  their  attention, 
and  his  reckless  courage  excited  their  admiration. 
He  rode  a  large  white  horse,  and  although  ren- 
dered a  prominent  mark  for  the  rifles  of  the 
sailors,  he  always  escaped  unhurt.  He  would 
ride  boldly  out  in  full  view  of  the  vessel,  patiently 
wait  for  some  one  to  expose  himself,  when  tlie 
sharp  crack  of  his  rifle  would  be  followed  by  the 
report  made  to  the  captain,  "A  man  shot,  sir." 

Frank  had  selected  this  man  as  a  worthy  foe- 
man;  and  every  time  he  appeared  the  young  offi- 
cer was  on  the  watch  for  him.  He  was  very 
expert  with  the  rifle,  and  after  a  few  shots,  he 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         19 

succeeded  in  convincing  the  rebel  that  the  safest 
place  for  him  was  behind  the  levee.  One  morn- 
ing the  foe  appeared  in  stronger  force  than  usual, 
and  conspicuous  among  them  was  the  w^hite  horse 
and  his  daring  rider.  The  fight  that  ensued 
had  continued  for  perhaps  half  an  hour,  when 
the  quartermaster  reported  the  dispatch-boat 
approaching.  As  soon  as  she  came  within  range, 
the  guerrillas  directed  their  fire  against  her,  to 
which  the  latter  replied  briskly  from  two  guns 
mounted  on  her  forecastle.  The  leader  of  the 
rebels  was  constantly  in  view,  cheering  on  his 
men,  and  discharging  his  rifle  as  fast  as  he  could 
reload.  Frank  fired  several  shots  at  him,  and 
finding  that,  as  usual,  they  were  without  effect, 
he  asked  the  captain's  permission  to  try  a  how- 
itzer on  him,  v.'hich  was  granted.  He  ran  below, 
trained  the  gun  to  his  satisfaction,  and  waited  for 
an  opportunity  to  fire,  during  which  the  dis- 
patch-boat came  alongside  and  commenced  put- 
ting off  a  supply  of  stores. 

At  length   the   rebel  mounted   the   levee,   and 
reigning  in  his  horse,  sat  in  his  saddle  gazing  at 


20         FRANK  OX  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

the  vessels,  as  if  not  at  all  concerned.  He  pre- 
sented a  fair  mark,  and  Frank  fired,  but  the  shell 
went  wild  and  burst  in  the  woods,  far  beyond  the 
rebel,  who,  however,  beat  a  hasty  retreat  behind 
the  levee. 

"Oh,  what  a  shot!"  shouted  a  voice  through 
the  trumpet  that  led  from  the  pilot-house  to  the 
main  deck.  "What  a  shot — altogether  too  much 
elevation." 

"Who's  that,  I  wonder?"  soliloquized  Frank. 
"It  was  a  poor  shot,  but  Fd  like  to  see  that 
fellow,  whoever  he  is,  do  any  better." 

After  giving  orders  to  have  the  gun  reloaded 
and  secured,  he  ran  into  the  wardroom  to  look 
after  his  mail,  at  the  same  time  inquiring  of  every 
one  he  met,  "Who  was  that  making  fun  of  my 
shooting?"  But  no  one  knew,  nor  cared  to 
trouble  himself  about  the  matter,  for  the  subject 
of  conversation  was,  "We've  got  a  new  pay- 
master." 

Frank  was  pleased  to  hear  this,  but  was  still 
determined  to  find  the  pei'son  who  had  laughed 
at  his  marksmanship,  when  he  saw  a  pair  of  feet 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         21 

descending  the  ladder  that  led  from  the  cabin  to 
the  pilot-house,  and  a  moment  afterward,  a  smart 
looking  young  officer,  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a 
pajnnaster,  stood  in  the  wardroom,  and  upon 
discovering  Frank,  thrust  out  his  hand  and  greeted 
him  with — 

"What  a  shot!  Been  in  the  service  more  than 
two  years,  and" — 

"Why,  Archie  Winters,  is  this  you?"  exclaimed 
Frank,  joyfully. 

"Paymaster  Winters,  if  you  please,"  replied 
Archie,  with  mock  dignity. 

"How  came  you  here?  What  are  you  doing? 
Got   any   money?"   hurriedly   inquired   Frank. 

"Got  plenty  of  funds,"  replied  his  cousin. 
"But  I  say,  Frank,  how  long  has  this  fighting 
been  gomg  on?" 

"Every  day  for  the  last  week." 

Archie  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  looked 
blank. 

"I  guess  I  had  better  go  back  to  Cairo,"  said 
he;  "these  rebels,  I  hear,  shoot  very  carelessly. 
Just  before  we  came  alongside  here,  I  was  stand- 


22         FHAXK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

ing  on  the  deck  of  [he  dispatch-boat,  and  some 
fellow  cracked  away  al  nie,  sending  the  bullet 
altogether  too   close   to  my  head  for  comfort." 

"Oh,  that's  nothing,  so  long  as  he  didn't  hit 
you.  You'll  get  used  to  that  before  you  have 
been  here  a  week.  But,  Archie,  are  you  really 
ordered  to  this  vessel?" 

Archie  at  once  produced  his  orders,  and,  sure 
enough,  he  was  an  acting  assistant  paymaster, 
and  ordered  to  "  report  to  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  U.  S.  S.  Boxer  for  duty  on  board  that  vessel." 

During  the  two  years  that  Archie  had  been  in 
the  fleet-paymaster's  office  he  had,  by  strict  at- 
tention to  his  duties,  worked  his  way  up  from 
"writer"  to  corresponding  clerk.  He  had  had 
ample  opportunity  to  learn  the  duties  of  pay- 
master, and  one  day  he  suddenly  took  it  into  his 
head  to  make  application  for  the  position.  He 
immediately  wrote  to  his  father,  informing  him 
of  his  intention,  procured  his  letters  of  recom- 
mendation, and  a  month  afterward  received  the 
appointment.  Hearing,  through  Frank,  that  the 
Boxer  was  without   a   paymaster,   he   succeeded 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         23 

ill  getting  ordered  to  her,  and,  as  he  had  not 
written  to  his  cousin  of  his  good  fortune,  the  lat- 
ter, as  may  be  supposed,  was  taken  completely 
by  surprise. 

Archie  was  speedily  introduced  to  the  officers 
of  the  vessel,  who  were  pleased  with  his  off-hand, 
easy  manners,  and  delighted  with  the  looks  of  a 
small  safe  which  he  had  brought  with  hhn,  for 
they  knew,  by  the  very  particular  orders  he  gave 
concerning  it,  that  there  was  money  in  it. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  the  rebels  seemed  to 
grow  weary  of  the  fight,  for  they  drew  off  their 
forces;  then,  as  soon  as  it  was  safe  on  deck,  the 
cousins  seated  themselves  on  the  guard,  to  "talk 
over  old  times."  Frank  gave  descriptions  of  the 
fights  in  which  he  had  engaged  since  they  last 
met,  and  also  related  stories  of  mess-room  life, 
with  which  Archie  was  entirely  unacquainted; 
and  to  show  him  how  things  were  conducted, 
told  him  of  the  jokes  the  officers  frequently 
played  upon  each  other. 

"Speaking  of  jokes,"  said  Archie,  "reminds 
me  of  a  little  affair  I  had  a  hand  in  at  Cairo. 


24         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"While  the  commandant  of  the  station  was 
absent  on  a  leave,  his  place  was  supplied  by  a 
gentleman  whom,  for  short,  I  will  call  Captain 
Smith.  He  was  a  regular  officer,  had  grown  gray 
!n  the  service,  and  was  one  of  the  most  eccentric 
men  I  ever  saw.  He  was  extremely  nervous, 
too,  and  if  a  steamer  happened  to  whistle  while 
passing  the  wharf -boat,  it  would  make  him  almost 
wild. 

"One  day,  a  man  who  lived  off  somewhere  in 
the  woods,  came  down  to  Cairo  to  get  an  appoint- 
ment for  his  son  as  master's  mate.  Our  office, 
you  know,  was  just  to  the  right  of  the  door,  and, 
if  there  was  any  thing  that  bothered  me,  it  was  for 
some  body  to  stick  his  head  over  the  railing  when 
I  was  busy,  and  ask,  'Is  the  commandant  of  the 
station  in?'  There  was  an  orderly  on  watch  day 
and  night,  always  ready  to  answer  such  questions, 
and  besides,  there  was  an  abundance  of  notices 
on  the  walls  pointing  out  the  different  offices; 
but  m  spite  of  this,  every  stranger  that  came 
in  must  stop  and  make  inquiries  of  me. 

"Well,  this  man  came  into  the  office,  and  as 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  ^fISSISSIPPI.         25 

he  had  evidently  never  been  there  before,  judging 
by  the  way  he  gaped  at  every  thing,  I  told  him 
that  it  was  after  office  hours,  and  that  he  must 
call  again  the  next  morning  about  nine  o'clock. 
He  took  a  turn  or  two  across  the  floor  (by-the- 
way,  he  wore  squeaking  boots,  that  made  a  noise 
like  a  steam-whistle),   and  finally  went  out. 

"The  next  evening,  just  as  I  was  locking  up 
my  desk,  he  came  in  again,  and  I  repeated  what 
I  had  told  him  the  night  before,  that  he  must 
come  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning — not  at 
night — if  he  wished  to  see  the  captain,  and  he 
went  out,  after  making  noise  enough  with  his 
squeaking  boots  to  set  a  nervous  man's  teeth  on 
edge.  Now,  would  you  believe  it,  that  evening, 
after  I  had  finished  my  work,  and  was  starting 
out  for  supper,  I  saw  this  man  coming  up  the 
stairs.  He  met  me  with  the  usual  question,  'Is 
the  captain  in?'  and  I  suddenly  hit  upon  a  plan 
to  get  rid  of  him,  for  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
that  the  man  didn't  know  what  he  was  about; 
so  I  replied: 

'"What  do  you  want?    Why  don't  you  cjme 


26         FRAXK  OX   Tfli:  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

here  during  our  ofiice  hours,  if  you  want  to  see 
me?' 

"  I  spoke  in  a  gruff  voice,  and  I  was  so  bundled 
up — for  the  night  was  very  cold — that  I  knew 
he   wouldn't   recognize   me. 

"  'I've  been  busy  all  day,  cap'in,'  said  he;  'but 
the  fact  is' — 

"I  was  afraid  that  I  would  be  obliged  to  stand 
there  in  the  cold  and  listen  to  a  long,  uninterest- 
ing yarn,  so  I  interrupted  him. 

"  '  Speak  quick,  and  don't  keep  me  waiting.' 

"'Wal,  cap'in,'  said  he,  'I  heerd  you  are  in 
want  of  officers,  an'  I  come  to  get  a  place  for  my 
son;   I  hear  the  wages  are  purty  good.' 

"'Yes,'  I  replied,  'we  do  want  officers;  but 
does  your  son  know  any  thing  about  a  ship?' 

"'Oh,  yes!  He's  run  the  river  as  deck-hand 
for  goin'  nigh  on  to  three  year,' 

"'Then  he  ought  to  know  some  thing,  cer- 
tainly. Come  around  to-morrow  morning,  at  nine 
o'clock  exactly,  and  I'll  see  what  can  be  done 
for  you.  Now,  mind,  I  say  nine  o'clock  in  the 
morning.' 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         27 

"Well,  the  next  morning,  at  the  appointed 
time,  to  my  utter  astonishment,  the  man  was  on 
hand,  and,  as  usual,  commenced  walking  up  and 
down  the  floor  with  his  squeaking  boots.  The 
noise  disturbed  every  one  within  hearing,  and 
presently  the  captain,  who  was  in  his  office,  and 
so  busy  that  he  hardly  knew  what  he  was  about, 
spoke  in  a  sharp  tone: 

"'Orderly,  pull  off  those  squeaking  boots!' 

"*It  isn't  me,  sir,'  said  the  orderly;  'it's  a 
gentleman  out  here  waiting  to  see  you,  sir.' 

"'Then  send  him  in — send  him  in  at  once,  so 
that  I  can  get  rid  of  that  noise.' 

"The  man  was  accordingly  shown  into  the 
presence  of  the  captain,  while  I  listened  with 
both  ears  to  hear  what  was  said. 

"'Mornin',  cap'in,'  he  began;  'I  reckon  I'm 
here  on  time.' 

'"Time!  wliat  lime?  What  do  you  want?' 
inquired  the  captain,  who  always  spoke  very 
fast,  as  though  he  were  in  a  hurry  to  get  through 
with  what  he  had  to  say.  'What  do  you  want, 
my  good  man.     Be  lively  now.' 


28         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"  'Why,  cap'in,  I  come  here  to  get  that  appoint- 
ment for  my  son  in  this  'ere  navy ' 

"  '  Appointiment !  For  your  son!'  repeated  the 
captain.     'Who  is  he?    I  never  heard  of  him.' 

"  'Wal,  really  now,  cap'in,  I'll  be  shot  if  you 
didn't  tell  me  last  night  that  you  would  make 
my  son  an  officer.  The  wages  are  good,  I  hear,  an' 
as  I've  a  debt  to  pay  off  on  the  farm' — 

"'Don't  bother  me!'  interrupted  the  captain, 
beginning  to  get  impatient. 

"  'But,  cap'in,'  urged  tJie  man,  'you  can't  bluff 
me  off  this  'ere  way.  You  told  me  last  night 
that  you  wanted  officers;  you  know  I  met  you 
on  the  stairs,  and  you  promised,  honor  bright.' 

"'Eh!'  ejaculated  the  captain,  in  surprise,  'my 
good  man,  allow  me  to  know  what  I'm  about, 
will  you?  Will  you  allow  me  to  know  myself? 
Orderly,'  he  continued,  turning  to  that  indi- 
vidual, who  had  stood  by,  convulsed  with  laughter, 
which  he  was  vainly  endeavoring  to  conceal, 
'orderly,  do  you  think  this  man  is  in  his  right 
mind?' 

"The  onlerly  said  he  didn't  know;   but,  taking 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         29 

the  man  by  the  arm,  showed  him  out  of  the  office, 
telUng  hhn  to  come  again,  when  the  captain 
was  not  quite  so  busy. 

"The  conversation  had  been  carried  on  in  a 
loud  tone,  and  all  the  occupants  of  the  different 
offices  had  heard  it,  and  were  highly  amused,  for 
they  knew  that  somebody  had  been  playing  a 
joke  on  the  countryman;  but  it  was  a  long  time 
before  I  told  any  one  of  the  share  I  had  had  in 
the  affair." 


30         FRANK  UN  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A   NIGHT   EXPEDITION. 

The  captain  wishes  to  see  you,  gentlemen!" 
said  the  orderly,  stepping  up  and  saluting. 

The  cousins  repaired  to  the  cabin,  and  after 
Archie  had  been  introduced  to  the  captain  (for 
being  utterly  ignorant  of  the  manner  in  which 
things  were  conducted  on  shipboard,  he  had  not 
yet  reported  his  arrival),  his  orders  were  indorsed, 
and  the  captain,  turning  to  his  desk,  ran  his  eye 
hastily   over   an   official   document,   and   said: 

"  Mr.  Nelson,  I  have  received  instructions  from 

the  admiral  to  make  you  the  executive  officer  of 

this  vessel.     Mr.  Kearney's  resignation  has  been 

accepted,   and   you   will   take   his   place.     I   am 

certain,  from  what  I  know  and  have  heard  of 

)'our  past  history,  that  I  shall  have  no  cause  to 

regret  the  change." 

After  a  few  moments'   conversation  with  the 

f 


FRANK  ON'  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         31 

captain  upon  unimportant  matters,  the  cousins 
returned  to  the  wardroom. 

Frank's  constant  attention  to  his  duties  had 
again  been  rewarded,  and  he  was  now  the  second 
in  authority  on  board  the  vessel.  All  orders 
from  the  captain  must  pass  through  him,  and 
in  the  absence  of  that  gentleman  he  became 
commander.  To  say  that  Frank  was  delighted 
would  but  feebly  express  his  feelings;]  he  was 
proud  of  the  honor,  and  determined  that  he  would 
prove  himself  worthy  of  it.  In  fact,  he  had  now 
reached  the  height  of  his  ambition,  although 
he  had  little  dreamed  that  it  would  come  so  soon. 
He  asked  nothing  more.  He  had  worked  hard 
and  faithfully  ever  since  he  had  entered  the 
service,  but  in  receiving  the  appointment  of  ex- 
ecutive officer  he  felt  amply  rewarded. 

He  was  young  in  years  for  so  responsible  a 
position,  but  he  had  no  fears  of  his  ability  to  per- 
form all  the  duties  required  of  him,  for  the  rou- 
tine of  ship  life  had  become  as  familiar  to  him 
as  was  the  road  from  Lawrence  to  his  quiet  little 
home  on  the  banks  of  Glen's  Creek.    But  his 


32         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

promotion  did  not  affect  him  as  it  does  a  great 
many  who  suddenly  find  themselves  possessed  of 
power.  He  did  not  "stand  upon  his  rank,"  nor 
in  his  intercourse  with  his  messmates  endeavor 
to  keep  constantly  before  their  minds  the  fact 
that  he  was  the  second  in  command.  Those  who 
have  been  in  the  service — especially  in  the  navy — 
will  recall  to  mind  incidents  of  this  character;  but 
our  hero  never  forgot  the  respect  he  owed  to 
his  superiors,  and  his  conduct  toward  those  under 
him  was  marked  by  the  same  kindness  he  had 
always  shown  them. 

Frank  knew  that  he  had  something  of  a  task 
before  him.  Although  he  could  now  turn  into 
his  bunk  at  night  without  being  called  upon  to 
stand  his  regular  watch,  he  had  more  difficult 
duties  to  perform.  He  was  responsible  for  the 
manner  in  which  affairs  were  conducted  about 
decks,  for  the  neat  appearance  of  the  vessel  and 
of  the  men;  and  as  the  former  executive  officer 
had  been  rather  careless  in  this  respect,  Frank 
knew  that  his  first  move  must  be  made  in  that 
direction. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         33 

For  the  next  two  days,  as  the  rebels  did  not 
trouble  them,  Frank  worked  early  and  late,  and 
the  results  of  his  labor  were  soon  made  apparent. 
Every  one  remarked  the  improved  appearance  of 
the  men,  who,  at  the  Sunday  morning  muster, 
appeared  on  deck  in  spotless  uniforms  and  well- 
blacked  shoes.  After  the  roll  had  been  called, 
and  the  captain,  in  company  with  Frank,  pro- 
ceeded to  inspect  the  vessel,  the  young  officer 
knew  that  his  improvements  had  been  appreciated 
when  the  former,  who  was  an  old  sailor,  said, 
with  a  smile  of  satisfaction: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  this  begins  to  look  something 
like  a  ship,  sir.  This  really  looks  like  business. 
The  admiral  may  come  here  now  and  inspect 
the  vessel  as  soon  as  he  pleases." 

The  next  morning,  as  Frank  sat  at  the  table  in 
the  wardroom,  engaged  in  answering  the  letters 
he  had  received  by  the  dispatch-boat,  and  Archie 
was  in  his  ofl5ce  straightening  out  his  books  and 
papers,  a  bullet  came  suddenly  crashing  through 
the  cabin — a  signal  that  the  rebels  had  again 
made    their    appearance.     Frank,    who    had    be- 


34         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

come  accustomed  lo  such  iiitt;rruptk)ns,  deliber- 
ately wiped  his  pen,  corked  his  ink-stand,  and 
was  carefully  putting  away  his  letters,  when 
there  was  a  hurrying  of  feet  in  the  office;  the 
door  flew  op(>n,  and  Archie,  divested  of  his  coat, 
bounded  into  the  cabin,  exclaiming: 

"A  fellow  can't  tell  when  he's  safe  in  this 
country.  I  wish  I  was  back  in  the  fleet-paymas- 
ter's office.  I  wouldn't  mind  a  good  fair  fight, 
but  this  thing  of  being  shot  at  when  you  least 
expect  it  isn't  pleasant." 

As  Archie  spoke,  he  hurriedly  seized  a  gun 
from  the  rack,  which  had  been  put  up  in  the 
cabin  in  order  to  have  weapons  close  at  hand, 
and  sprang  up  the  ladder  that  led  into  the  pilot- 
liouse.  Frank,  although  he  laughed  heartily  at 
his  cousin's  rapid  movements,  was  a  good  deal 
sui-prised,  for  he  had  always  believed  him  to  be 
possessed  of  a  good  share  of  courage.  It  would, 
however,  have  tried  stronger  nerves  than  Archie's; 
but  men  w^ho  had  become  familiar  with  such 
scenes,  who  had  learned  to  regard  them  merely 
as   something   disagreeable   which   could   not   be 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         35 

avoided,  could  not  sympathize  with  one  in  his 
situation,  and  many  a  wink  was  exchanged,  and 
many  a  laugh  indulged  in,  at  the  expense  of  the 
"green  paymaster." 

When  Frank  had  put  away  his  writing  mate- 
rials, he  ran  below  to  see  that  the  ports  were  all 
closed;  after  w^hich  he  returned  to  the  ward- 
room, and,  securing  a  rifle,  went  into  the  pilot- 
house, where  he  found  Archie  engaged  in  reloading 
his  gun,  while  the  officers  were  complimenting 
him  on  a  fine  shot  he  had  just  made. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  as  Frank 
made  his  appearance,  "I  guess  your  wdiite  horse- 
man is  done  for  now\  The  paymaster  lifted  him 
out  of  his  saddle  as  clean  as  a  whistle." 

Frank  looked  out  at  one  of  the  ports,  and,  sure 
enough,  there  was  the  white  horse  rumiing  rider- 
less about,  and  his  wounded  master  was  being 
carried  behind  the  levee.  The  officers  continued 
to  fire  as  often  as  a  rebel  showed  hhnself,  but 
the  latter  seemed  to  have  lost  all  desire  for  fight- 
ing, for  they  retreated  to  the  plantation-house 
which  stood  back  from  the  river,  out  of  range 


3f)         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

of  the  rifles,  where  they  gathered  in  a  body  as 
if  in  consultation,  now  and  then  setting  up  de- 
fiant yells,  which  came  faintly  to  the  ears  of 
those  in  the  pilot-house. 

"They  are  saucy  enough  now  that  they  are 
out  of  harm's  way,"  said  Archie,  turning  to  his 
cousin.  But  the  latter  made  no  reply.  He  stood 
leaning  on  his  rifle,  gazing  at  the  guerrillas,  as  if 
busily  engaged  with  his  own  thoughts,  and  finally 
left  the  pilot-house  and  sought  an  interview  with 
the  captain, 

"I  have  been  thinking,  sir,"  said  he,  as  he 
entered  the  cabin  and  took  the  chair  offered 
him,  "  that  if  that  house  out  there  had  been  burned 
long  ago, -we  should  not  have  had  ten  men  killed 
by  those  guerrillas.  They  seem  to  use  that  build- 
ing as  their  head-quarters,  and  if  it  could  be  de- 
stroyed they  would  cease  to  trouble  us." 

"That's  my  opinion,"  replied  the  captain. 
"But  who  is  to  undertake  the  job?  Who's  to 
go  out  there,  in  the  face  of  three  or  four  hundred 
rebels,  and  do  it?  I  can't,  with  a  crew  of  only 
fifty  men." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         37 

''I  didn't  suppose  it  could  be  done  openly, 
sir;  but  couldn't  it  be  accomplished  by  stratagem 
in  the  night,  for  instance?" 

The  captain  shook  his  head;  but  Frank,  who 
was  not  yet  discouraged,  continued: 

"I  have  not  made  this  proposition,  captain, 
without  thinking  it  all  over — without  taking  into 
consideration  all  the  chances  for  and  against  it — 
and  I  still  think  it  could  be  accomplished." 

"Well,  how  would  you  go  to  work?"  asked  the 
captain,  settling  back  in  his  chair  with  the  air  of 
a  man  who  had  made  his  decision,  from  which  he 
was  not  to  be  turned. 

Frank  then  proceeded  to  recount  the  plans  he 
had  laid  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  object,  to 
which  the  captain  listened  attentively,  and  when 
Frank  had  ceased,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  paced 
the  cabin.  He  knew  that  the  young  officer  had 
before  engaged  in  expeditions  similar  to  the  one 
he  now  proposed,  when,  in  carrying  out  his  de- 
signs, he  had  exhibited  the  skill  and  judgment  of 
a  veteran.  In  the  present  instance,  his  plans 
were  so  well  laid,  that  there  appeared  to  be  but 


38         FRAXK  ON  THE  LOWEJi  MISSISSIPPI. 

little  chanco  for  failure.  After  a  few  moments' 
consideration,  the  captain  again  seated  himself, 
and  said: 

"Well,  Mr.  Nelson,  it  shall  be  as  you  propose. 
If  you  succeed,  I  am  certain  that  this  guerrilla 
station  will  be  broken  up;  if  you  fail,  it  will  only 
be  what  many  a  good  officer  has  done  before  you." 

"I  assure  you,  sir,  I  shall  leave  no  plan  un- 
tried to  insure  my  success,"  replied  Frank,  as  he 
left  the  cabin. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  inquired  Archie,  as 
his  cousin  entered  the  wardroom.  "Been  getting 
a  blowing  up  already?" 

"Oh,  no!"  replied  Frank.  "Come  in  here,  and 
I'll  tell  you  all  about  it;"  and  he  drew  Archie 
into  the  office,  where  he  proceeded  to  tell  him  all 
that  had  been  determined  upon.  When  he  had 
finished,  the  latter  exclaimed: 

"I  want  to  go  with  you.     Will  you  take  me?" 

Frank  thought  of  Archie's  behavior  but  a  few 
moments  before,  and  wondered  what  use  he 
could  possibly  be  in  an  expedition  like  the  one 
proposed. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         39 

"If  you  do  go,"  he  answered,  at  length,  "you'll 
be  sorry  for  it.  It  requires  those  who  are  ac- 
customed to  such  business;  and  you  have  never 
been  in  an  action  in  your  life.  The  imdertak- 
ing  is  dangerous." 

"  I  don't  care  if  it  is,"  answered  Archie.  "That's 
just  the  reason  why  I  want  to  go — to  be  with 
you;  and  I  warrant  you  I'll  stick  to  you  as  long 
as  any  body." 

"Besides,"  began  Frank,  "if  any  thing  shoukl 
happen  to  you" — 

"I'm  just  as  likely  to  get  back  as  you  are," 
replied  Ai'chie,  excitedly,   "and  I  want  to  go." 

After  considerable  urging,  Frank  finally  asked 
and  obtained  permission  for  Archie  to  accompany 
the  expedition,  at  which  the  latter  was  over- 
joyed. He  was  very  far  from  realizing  the  dan- 
ger there  was  in  the  undertaking,  and  had  as 
little  idea  of  what  would  be  required  of  him 
as  he  had  of  the  moon. 

The  cousins  passed  the  afternoon  m  the  pilot- 
house, watching  the  movements  of  the  guer- 
rillas through  spy-glasses,  studying  ihe  "lay  of 


40         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

the  land,"  the  directions  in  which  the  different 
roads  ran — in  short,  nothing  was  omitted  which 
they  thought  might  be  useful  for  them  to  know. 
Just  before  night  a  storm  set  in;  the  wind  blew, 
and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents;  and,  although  Frank 
regarded  it  as  something  in  their  favor,  under 
any  other  circumstances  he  would  have  preferred 
tumbling  into  bed  to  venturing  out  in  it.  The 
hammocks  were  not  piped  as  usual,  but  all  hands 
were  to  remain  on  deck  during  the  night,  to  be 
ready  to  lend  assistance  in  case  it  was  required. 
At  ten  o'clock  the  cutter  lay  alongside  the  ves- 
sel, the  crew  were  in  their  places,  and  Frank 
and  his  cousin,  surrounded  by  the  officers  who 
had  assembled  to  see  them  off,  stood  on  the 
guards  ready  to  start. 

"Paymaster,"  said  Frank,  turning  to  his  cousin, 
"hadn't  you  better  remain  on  board?"  (He  ad- 
dressed him  as  paymaster,  for,  of  course,  it  would 
have  been  contrary  to  naval  rules  to  call  him 
by  his  given  name  in  the  presence  of  the  captain.) 

"No,  sir"  answered  Archie,  quickly  buttoning 
up  his  pea-jacket  with  a  resolute  air.     "Do  you 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         41 

suppose  I'm  going  to  back  out  now?  If  you  do, 
you  are  mistaken.  I'm  not  afraid  of  a  little  rain." 
Frank  made  no  reply,  but,  after  shaking  hands 
with  the  captain  and  officers,  followed  his  cousin 
into  the  cutter,  which  floated  off  into  the  dark- 
ness amid  the  whispered  wishes  for  "good  luck" 
from  all  the  ship's  company  who  had  witnessed 
its  departure.  Frank  took  the  hehn,  and  turned 
the  boat  down  the  river.  Not  an  oar  was  used, 
for  the  young  officer  did  not  know  but  the  rebels 
had  posted  sentries  along  the  bank,  whom  the 
least  splashing  in  the  water  would  alarm.  Archie 
sat  beside  his  cousin,  with  his  collar  pulled  up 
over  his  ears,  and  his  hands  thrust  into  the  pockets 
of  his  pea-jacket,  heartily  wishing  that  Frank 
had  chosen  a  pleasanter  night  for  their  expedi- 
tion. For  half  an  hour  they  floated  along  with 
the  current  in  silence,  until  Frank,  satisfied  that 
he  had  gone  far  enough  down  the  river  to  get 
below  the  sentries,  if  any  were  posted  on  the  bank, 
gave  the  order  to  use  the  oars,  and  turned  the 
cutter's  head  toward  the  shore,  which  they  reached 
in  a  few  moments. 


42         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  crew  quictl}'  disembarked,  and  as  the 
sailors  gathered  about  him,  Frank  said, 

"Now,  men,  I'm  going  to  leave  you  here  until 
the  paymaster  and  myself  can  go  up  to  the  house, 
and  accomplish  what  we  have  come  for.  Tom," 
he  added,  turning  to  the  coxswain  of  the  cutter, 
"you  will  have  charge  of  the  boat,  and  remem- 
ber you  are  in  no  case  to  leave  her.  We  may 
be  discovered,  and  get  into  a  fight.  If  we  do, 
and  are  cut  off  from  the  river  and  \mable  to  get 
back,  I'll  whistle,  and  you  will  at  once  answer 
me,  so  that  I  may  know  that  you  hear  me,  and 
pull  off  to  the  vessel.  We'll  take  care  of  ourselves. 
Do  you  understand?" 

The  crew  of  the  cutter  were  old  sailors — men 
who  had  followed  the  sea  through  storm  and 
sunshine  all  their  lives.  They  had  been  in  more 
than  one  action,  too,  during  the  rebellion,  and 
had  gladly  volunteered  for  the  expedition,  sup- 
posing that  they  were  to  accompany  Frank  where- 
ever  he  went.  During  the  short  time  the  latter 
had  been  on  board  the  Boxer,  they  had  become 
very  much  attached  to  him.     Although  he  was 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         43 

a  very  strict  officer,  and  always  expected  every 
man  to  do  his  duty  promptly,  he  always  treated 
them  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  never  spoke 
harshly  to  them.  This  was  so  different  from 
the  treatment  they  had  usually  received  at  the 
hands  of  their  officers,  that  it  won  their  hearts; 
and,  although  they  admired  his  courage,  they 
would  have  felt  much  better  pleased  had  they 
received  orders  to  accompany  him. 

"Don't  you  understand,  Tom?"  again  asked 
Frank,  seeing  that  the  coxswain  hesitated. 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,"  replied  the  sailor,  touching  his 
hat;  "I  understand,  sir.  But,  Mr.  Nelson,  may 
I  be  so  bold  as  to  ask  one  question — one  favor, 
I  may  say?" 

"Certainly;  speak  it  out,"  answered  Frank, 
who  little  imagined  what  thoughts  were  passing 
through  the  minds  of  his  men,  "What  is  it? 
Do  you  wish  to  go  back  to  the  ship  and  leave 
us  here  alone?" 

"No,  sir,"  answered  all  the  men  in  a  breath. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  coxswain,  "I  never 
yet   refused   duty   because   thei'e   was  danger   in 


44         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

it,  and  I'm  too  old  a  man  to  begin  now.  You 
have  here,  sir,  twelve  as  good  men  as  ever  trod 
a  ship's  deck,  and  you  know,  sir,  that  when 
you  passed  the  word  for  volunteers  for  this  ex- 
pedition, you  didn't  have  to  call  twice.  But 
we  all  thought  that  we  should  go  with  you  to 
the  end;  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  sir,  we  don't 
like  the  idea  of  you  and  the  paymaster  going 
off  alone  among  them  rebels.  You  are  sure 
to  get  into  trouble,  and  we  want  to  go  with  you." 

On  more  than  one  occasion  had  Frank  been 
made  aware  of  the  affection  his  men  cherished 
for  him,  and  he  felt  as  proud  of  it  as  he  did  of 
the  uniform  he  wore;  but  he  had  never  been 
more  affected  than  he  was  on  the  present  oc- 
casion. 

"Men,"  he  answered,  in  a  voice  that  was  none 
of  the  steadiest,  "I  assure  you  I  appreciate  the 
interest  you  take  in  my  welfare,  and  were  I  going 
to  fight,  I  should  certainly  take  you  with  me; 
but  sometimes  two  can  accomplish  more  than 
a  dozen.  Besides,  I  promised  the  captain  that 
I  would  leave  you  here,  and  I  must  do  so.    Now, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         45 

remember  and  pull  off  to  the  vessel  if  you  hear 
me  whistle." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  coxswain;  "but  it'll  be 
the  first  time  I  ever  deserted  an  officer  in  trouble." 

The  sailors  were  evidently  far  from  being 
pleased  with  this  arrangement,  but  they  were 
allowed  no  opportunity  to  oppose  it,  even  had 
they  felt  inclined  to  do  so,  for  Frank  and  his 
cousin  speedily  disappeared  in  the  darkness. 


'la         FliANK  OiY  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ARCHIE    IN    A   PREDICAMENT. 

As  soon  as  the  young  officers  had  reached 
the  top  of  the  bank,  they  paused  to  take  their 
bearings,  and  to  select  some  landmark  that  would 
enable  them  to  easily  find  the  boat  again.  Away 
off  in  the  darkness  they  saw  the  twinkling  of  a 
light,  which  they  knew  was  in  the  house  which 
the  guerrillas  were  using  as  their  head-quarters. 

"Now,  Archie,"  said  Frank,  "take  a  good 
look  at  this  big  tree  here"  (pointing  to  the  ob- 
ject in  question)  "so  that  you  will  know  it  again. 
The  boat  lies  in  the  river  exactly  in  a  line  with 
that  tree.  Now,  if  you  should  be  separated 
from  me  and  discovered,  make  straight  for  the 
cutter.  But  il"  you  are  cut  off  from  it,  run  up 
the  river  until  you  get  a  little  above  where  the 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         47 

vessel  lies,  and  then  jump  in  and  swim  out  to 
her.     Do  you  understand?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Archie, 

"Be  careful  of  your  weapons,"  continued  his 
cousin,  "and  keep  them  dry  and  ready  for  in- 
stant use.  Don't  be  captured — whatever  you 
do,  don't  be  captured!" 

"I'll  look  out  for  that,"  answered  Archie. 
"But,  Frank,"  he  continued,  "why  did  you  tell 
the  men  to  pull  back  to  the  vessel  if  we  should 
be  cut  off  from  the  river?  I  should  think' that 
would  be  just  the  time  you  would  want  them 
to  remain." 

"Why,"  replied  Frank,  "the  very  first  thing 
the  rebels  would  think  of,  if  we  were  discovered, 
would  be  to  capture  our  boat,  and  while  part 
of  them  were  after  us,  the  others  would  run  to 
the  river  and  gobble  up  boat,  crew,  and  all. 
Then  they  would  know  that  we  were  still  on  shore, 
and  would  scour  the  country  to  find  us.  But 
if  the  boat  goes  off  to  the  vessel,  the  rebels  will 
be  more  than  half  inclined  to  believe  that  wc 
have  gone  off  too,   and,   consequently,   will  not 


48         F.RANK  OiV  TIIE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

take  the  pains  to  hunt  us  which  they  would  do 
if  they  knew  we  were  still  on  shore.  But  let 
us  be  moving;    we've  no  time  to  waste." 

Frank  started  toward  the  house,  carefully  pick- 
ing his  way  over  the  wet,  slippery  groimd,  now 
and  then  pausing  to  listen,  and  to  reconnoiter 
as  well  as  the  darkness  would  permit,  and  finally 
stopped  scarcely  a  stone's  throw  from  the  build- 
ing. Not  a  guerrilla  had  they  seen.  Not  dream- 
ing that  the  "yankee  gunboatmen"  would  have 
the  audacity  to  attack  them  when  they  knew 
the  rebels  were  so  far  superior  in  numbers,  the 
latter  had  neglected  to  post  sentries,  and  Frank 
was  satisfied  that  their  approach  had  not  been 
discovered. 

"Now,  Archie,"  said  he,  as  they  drew  up  be- 
hind a  tree  for  concealment,  "you  stay  here, 
and  I'll  see  if  I  can  set  fire  to  that  house." 

"There  are  people  in  it,"  said  his  cousin;  "I 
just  saw  a  man  pass  by  that  window  where  the 
light  is." 

"Then  they  must  look  out  for  themselves," 
answered  Frank.     "That's  what  we  have  to  do 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         49 

when  they  shoot  into  our  cabin.  Now,  you 
stay  here,  and  if  you  hear  any  shooting,  run 
for  the  boat." 

"What  will  you  do?"  asked  Archie. 

"Oh,   I'll   take   care   of   myself.     Good-by." 

As  Frank  spoke  he  moved  silently  toward  the 
house,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

"Now,"  soliloquized  Archie,  "I  am  to  stay 
here,  am  I?  That's  what  I  was  ordered  to  do, 
but  I  don't  know  whether  I'll  obey  or  not.  It 
is  evident  Frank  left  me  here  to  keep  me  out  of 
harm's  way.  Perhaps  he  thinks  that  because  I 
have  never  smelt  powder,  I  am  a  coward;  but 
I'U  show   him   that   I   am   not." 

So  saying,  Archie  stepped  out  from  behind  his 
tree,  and  walked  slowly  toward  the  house.  When 
he  arrived  opposite  the  window  from  which  the 
light  shone,  he  stopped  and  looked  in.  He  did 
not,  however,  go  up  close  to  the  window,  or  he 
certainly  would  have  been  seen;  but  he  remained 
standing  at  a  respectful  distance,  so  that  he 
would  have  some  chance  for  escape,  in  case  he 
should  be  discovered. 


r.O         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  sight  that  met  his  gaze  would  have  been 
sufficient  to  deter  most-  men  from  attempting 
to  burn  the  house.  The  room  was  filled  with  men, 
some  of  wliom  were  lying  on  the  floor  on  their 
blankets,  others  sitting  around  the  table,  and 
one  or  two  were  walking  about  the  apartment. 
In  the  corner  stood  their  arms,  ready  to  be  seized 
at  a  moment's  warning.  And  this  was  but  one 
of  the  rooms;  perhaps  the  whole  house  was 
filled  with  guerrillas. 

"My  eye!"  said  Archie  to  himself,  "what  a 
hornet's  nest  would  be  raised  about  our  ears, 
if  we  should  be  discovered." 

His  heart  beat  faster  than  usual,  as  he  moved 
back  from  the  window,  and  walked  silently  around 
to  the  other  side  of  the  house.  Here  also  was 
a  window,  from  which  a  light  shone,  and  as, 
like  the  other,  it  was  destitute  of  a  curtain,  every 
thing  that  went  on  within  could  be  plainly  seen 
by  Archie,  who  took  his  station  behind  some 
bushes  that  stood  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
house.  The  room  had  three  occupants,  whom 
Archie    at    once    set    down    as    officers.     One    of 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         51 

them  carried  his  arm  in  a  sling.  He  was  a  tall, 
powerful-looking  man,  and  Archie  recognized  in 
him  the  daring  rider  of  the  white  horse — the 
chief  of  the  guerrillas. 

"I  wonder  what  the  old  chap  would  say  if 
he  knew  I  was  about,''  thought  Archie — "I, 
who  gave  him  that  wound.  I'd  be  booked  for 
Shreveport,  certain." 

He  was  interrupted  in  his  meditations  by  the 
movements  of  the  officers,  who  arose  and  ap- 
proached the  door,  bringing  their  chairs  with 
them.  The  storm  had  ceased,  and  as  there 
was  no  longer  any  necessity  of  remaining  in 
the  house,  the  rebels,  were  no  doubt,  moving 
to  cooler  quarters.  Archie  at  once  thought  of 
retreating;  but  the  thought  had  scarcely  passed 
through  his  mind,  when  the  door  opened,  the 
rebels  walked  out  on  the  portico,  and  seating 
themselves  in  their  chairs,  deposited  their  feet 
on  the  railing;  while  the  young  officer  stretched 
himself  out  behind  the  bush,  heartily  wishing 
that  he  could  sink  into  the  ground  out  of  sigh(. 

"A    very    warm    evening,    colonel,"    said    one 


62         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

of    tlie   relx-ls,   fanning    himself    with    his    hat. 

"Very,"'  answered  the  guerrilla  chief,  gently 
moving  his  wounded  arm,  little  dreaming  that 
the  one  who  gave  him  that  wound  was  at  that 
very  moment  lying  behind  the  bushes  into  which 
he  had  just  tlirown  the  stump  of  his  cigar.  "  It's 
very  warm.  I  wish  I  had  that  rascally  Yank 
that  shot  me,"  he  added;  "this  wound  is  very 
painful." 

Archie  upon  hearing  this  was  almost  afraid 
that  the  beating  of  his  heart,  which  thumped 
against  his  ribs  with  a  noise  that  frightened  him, 
would  certainly  reveal  to  the  rebels  the  fact 
that  the  "rascally  Yank"  was  then  in  their  im- 
mediate vicinity. 

"But,  if  our  plans  work,"  continued  the  colo- 
nel, "in  less  than  a  week  from  this  time  they 
will  all  be  on  the  way  to  Shreveport." 

"May  I  ask,  colonel,"  said  the  one  who  had 
not  yet  spoken,  "how  soon  those  boats  will  be 
ready?" 

"  Major  Jackson  reports  that  they  will  be  fin- 
ished by  to-morrow  night,  and  it  will   take  all 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         oS 

of  one  day  to  run  them  down  the  creek  to  the 
river," 

"Then  by  Thursday  evening,"  said  the  one 
who  had  first  spoken,  "we  may  be  ready  to 
make  the  attempt." 

"Yes,  if  the  night  is  favorable." 

"But,  colonel,  all  these  gunboats  are  sup- 
plied with  hot  water,  and  that,  you  know,  is 
the  worst  kind  of  an  enemy  to  fight.  Men  will 
run  from  that  who  wouldn't  flinch  before  cold 
steel." 

"Oh,  we  must  take  the  Yanks  by  surprise, 
of  course.  The  boats  will  hold  fifty  men  each, 
and  we  must  drop  down  the  river  so  that  we 
will  land  one  on  each  side  of  the  vessel.  If  the 
night  is  dark — and  we  shall  not  make  the  at- 
tempt unless  it  is— we  can  get  within  pistol- 
shot  of  her  before  we  are  discovered,  and  by 
the  time  their  men  get  fairly  out  of  bed  she's 
ours.    Hark!  what  noise  was  that?" 

The  rebels  listened  for  a  moment,  and  one 
of  them  replied: 

"  I  didn't  hear  any  thing." 


54         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MlSSISSIPri. 

"Well,  I  did,"  returned  the  colonel,  "and 
it  sounded  very  much  like  some  one  shouting 
for  help.     I'm  certain  I  heard  it." 

Archie,  who  lay  in  his  concealment,  trem- 
bling like  a  leaf,  was  also  confident  that  he  had 
heard  something  that  sounded  like  a  call  for 
assistance.  What  if  it  was  Frank  in  danger, 
and  shouting  to  the  cutter's  crew  for  help!  The 
thought  to  Archie  was  a  terrible  one,  and  he 
forgot  the  dangers  of  his  own  situation,  and 
thought  only  of  his  cousin.  But  if  Frank  was 
in  trouble,  why  did  he  not  give  the  signal  to 
the  cutter's  crew?  Archie  waited  and  listened 
for  it,  but  did  not  hear  it  given. 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  through 
his  mind,  the  rebels  sat  on  the  portico  listening, 
and  at  length  the  colonel  said: 

"I  know  I  hear  something  now,  but  it  is  the 
tramping  of  a  horse.  I  suppose  it  is  Tibbs, 
coming  with  the  mail." 

The  colonel's  surmise  proved  to  be  correct 
for  in  a  few  moments  a  man  rode  up,  and  dis- 
mounting so  close  to  Archie  that  the  latter  could 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         55 

have  touched  him,  tied  his  horse  to  the  very 
bush  which  formed  his  conceahnent;  then,  throw- 
ing a  pair  of  well-filled  saddle-bags  across  his 
shoulder,  he  ran  up  the  steps,  saying: 

"Good  evening,  gentlemen.  What!  colonel,  are 
you  womided?"  he  added,  on  seeing  the  rebel's 
bandaged  arm. 

"Yes;  this  makes  four  times  I  have  been  shot 
while   in   the   service.     But   how   is   the   mail?" 

"Rather  heavy,"  answered  the  man.  "If  you 
have  any  letters  to  go,  you  will  have  to  furnish 
another  bag — these  are  full." 

"All  right,"  said  the  colonel;  then  raising 
his  voice,  he  called  out,  "Bob!  Bob!  Where 
is  that  black  rascal?" 

"Heyar,  sar,"  answered  a  voice,  and  presently 
a  negro  came  arounil  the  corner  of  the  house, 
and  removing  his  tattered  hat,  stood  waiting 
for  orders. 

"Bob,"  said  the  colonel,  "tell  Stiles  that  the 
mail  is  all  ready  to  go  across  the  river," 

Stiles!  How  Frank  would  have  started  could 
he  have  heard  that  name !    He  would  have  known 


56         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

then,  had  he  not  before  been  aware  of  the  fact, 
that  he  was  again  among  Colonel  Harrison's 
Louisiana  Wild-cats. 

The  negro,  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  disap- 
peared, but  soon  returned,  with  the  intelligence 
that  Stiles  was  not  to  be  found. 

"Not  to  be  found,"  echoed  the  colonel;  "that's 
twice  he  has  failed  me.  But  this  mail  must 
not  be  delayed.     Tell  Damon  I  want  to  see  him." 

The  negro  again  disappeared,  and  in  a  few 
moments  came  back  with  a  soldier,  to  whom 
the   colonel   said: 

"Damon,  here's  a  mail  that  must  go  across 
the   river   to-night.    Can   you   pull   an   oar?" 

"Yas,"  replied  the  man. 

"Then  get  some  one  to  go  with  you,  and  start 
at  once.  The  skiff,  you  know,  is  in  the  creek, 
just   above   wliere   that   Yankee   gunboat    lies." 

"Yas,"  answered  the  man  again,  as  he  took 
the  mail-bags  which  the  colonel  handed  him. 

"This  one,"  continued  the  rebel,  pointing  to 
a  small  canvas  bag  which  one  of  his  officers  had 
just  brought  out  of    the  house — "this  one  con- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         57 

tains  my  mail — all  official  doouiiients,  to  go 
to  Richmond.  Be  careful  of  it.  Don't  let  the 
Yankees  get  hold  of  you." 

"No,"  replied  the  soldier,  as  he  shouldered 
the  mail  and  disappeared. 

The  conversation  that  followed,  of  which  Archie 
heard  every  word,  served  to  convince  him  that, 
although  the  rebels  kept  up  a  bold  front,  and 
appeared  sanguine  of  success  in  their  attempts 
to  destroy  the  Government,  yet  among  them- 
selves they  acknowledged  their  cause  to  be  utterly 
hopeless  unless  some  bold  stroke  could  be  made 
to  "dishearten  the  Yankees." 

In  spite  of  Archie's  dangerous  situation,  which 
had  tried  his  nerves  severely,  he  listened  to  every 
word  that  was  uttered,  and  even  became  inter- 
ested in  what  the  rebels  were  saying.  Now  and 
then  he  was  called  to  a  sense  of  his  situation 
by  the  movements  of  the  horse,  which,  being 
restive,  came  very  near  stepping  on  him  as  he 
pranced  about. 

Damon  had  been  gone  about  half  an  hour,  and 
the   colonel  had   just   commenced   explaining  to 


5S         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

the  man  who  had  brought  the  mail  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  capture  of  the  Boxer  was  to 
be  effected,  when  suddenly  the  report  of  a  pistol 
startled  every  one  on  the  portico.  A  moment 
afterward  came  another,  which  was  followed  by 
a  yell  of  agony. 

"What's  that?"  exclaimed  the  colonel,  spring- 
ing from  his  chair  in  alarm.  "Are  we  attacked? 
Get  out  there,  every  mother's  son  of  you!"  he 
continued,  as  the  men,  having  been  arousetl  by 
the  noise,  came  pouring  out  of  the  rooms  in  which 
they  were  quartered.  "Every  man  able  to  draw 
a  saber  get  out  there!  Run  for  the  river!  That's 
where  the  reports  sounded,  and  if  there  are  any 
boats  there  captiu'e  them.  That  will  keep  the 
Yankees  on  shore,  and  we  can  hunt  them  up 
at  our  leisure!" 

The  men  ran  out  of  the  house  and  started  for 
the  river  at  the  top  of  their  speed,  at  the  same 
time  yelling  with  all  the  strength  of  their  lungs, 
v\^hile  the  colonel  and  his  officers  ran  into  their 
room,  and  hastily  seizing  such  weapons  as  came 
first  to  their  hands,  followed  after.     To  describe 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         59 

Archie's  feelings,  as  he  lay  there  behind  that  bush 
and  listened  to  the  sounds  of  pursuit,  were  im- 
possible. Tlie  noise  the  rebels  made  seemed  to 
bewilder  him  completely,  for  he  lay  on  the  ground 
several  moments,  it  seemed  to  him,  without  the 
power  to  move  hand  or  foot. 

Suddenly  the  thought  struck  him  that  now 
was  the  time  to  accomplish  the  object  of  the 
expedition.  The  house  was  deserted,  and  the 
yells,  which  grew  fainter  and  fainter,  told  him 
that  the  rebels  were  getting  further  away.  Yes, 
it  was  now  or  never.  In  an  instant,  Ai-chie's 
courage  and  power  of  action  returned.  Spring- 
ing to  his  feet,  he  ran  to  the  end  of  the  portico, 
on  which  were  piled  several  bales  of  hay  and 
bundles  of  fodder,  which  the  rebels  no  doubt 
intended  for  their  horses.  But  Archie  deter- 
mined that  they  should  be  put  to  a  different 
use,  for  he  quickly  drew  from  his  pocket  two  large 
bottles  filled  with  coal  oil,  which  he  threw  over 
the  hay.  He  then  applied  a  match,  and  in  an 
instant  it  was  in  a  blaze.  He  waitetl  a  moment 
to  see  it  fairly  started,  tuid  then  sprang  off  the 


60         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

portico.  As  he  passed  the  door,  he  heard  an 
ejaculation  of  surprise,  followed  by  the  report 
of  a  pistol,  and  the  noise  of  a  bullet  as  it  whizzed 
past  his  head.  It  frightened  him,  and  at  the 
same  time  acted  upon  him  as  the  crack  of  a 
whip  does  upon  a  spirited  horse;  for  when  the 
rebel  who  fired  the  shot  had  reached  the  por- 
tico,  Archie   had   disappeared   in   the   darkness. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.        61 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A   MARK   FOR  THE   UNION. 

Let  us  now  return  to  Frank,  whom  we  left 
setting  out  for  the  house,  after  having  given 
Archie  emphatic  instructions  to  remain  behind 
the  tree  until  his  return.  He  did  not  feel  at 
all  at  his  ease  after  he  had  left  his  cousin,  for 
he  might  have  stationed  him  in  the  most  dan- 
gerous place  that  could  have  been  found;  and 
what  if  Archie  should  be  discovered  and  cap- 
tured? He  was  well  enough  acquainted  with 
his  cousin's  disposition  to  know  that  he  would 
not  surrender  without  a  fight;  but  what  could 
he  do  when  opposed  by  a  regiment  of  veteran 
rebels?  Frank  thought  not  of  his  own  peril, 
for  that  was  something  he  had  fully  expected 
to  encounter  before  he  started.  This  was  not 
the  first  time  he  had  voluntarily  placed  him- 
self  in   danger;    but   with   Art  hie   the   case  was 


G2         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

different;  and  Frank  was  several  times  on  the 
point  of  returning  to  his  cousin  and  making  use 
of  his  authority,  as  commander  of  the  expedi- 
tion, to  send  him  back  to  the  boat.  By  the 
time  these  thoughts  had  passed  through  his 
mind,  he  had  reached  a  log-cabin  which  stood 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  house;  and  as  he 
halted  behind  it,  to  shelter  himself  from  tlie 
storm,  still  debating  upon  the  course  he  ought 
to  pursue  in  regard  to  Archie,  some  one  inside 
the  cabin  connnenced  singing — 

"I'll  lay  ten  dollars  down, 
And  chuck  'em  up  one  by  one!" 

If  there  was  any  more  of  the  song,  the  rebel 
evidently  did  not  know  it,  for  be  kept  singing 
these  two  lines  over  and  over,  now  and  then 
varying  the  monotony  of  the  performance  by 
whistling.  Frank  stood  for  some  moments  lis- 
tening to  him,  and  finally  began  moving  cau- 
tiously around  the  cabin,  to  find  some  opening 
through  which  he  could  look  and  see  what  was 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         63 

going  on  inside.  He  presently  discovered  a  hole 
between  the  logs,  and,  upon  looking  in,  saw 
a  man  seated  on  the  floor  before  a  fire-place, 
in  which  burned  some  pine  knots,  engaged  in 
whittling  out  an  oar  with  his  bowie-knife.  On 
the  floor  near  him  lay  one  evidently  just  finished. 
At  the  opposite  side  of  the  room  stood  a  bag, 
from  the  mouth  of  which  peeped  several  letters. 
A  thought  struck  Frank — which  would  be  of 
the  most  benefit,  to  burn  the  house  or  to  capture 
the  mail,  which  might  contain  information  of 
the  greatest  importance?  Undoubtedly  the  lat- 
ter would  be  of  the  most  consequence.  Then 
he  debated  long  and  earnestly  upon  the  chances 
of  escaping  with  the  mail,  should  he  attempt 
its  capture.  The  man  who  had  charge  of  it 
was  a  most  powerful-looking  fellow,  who  know- 
ing the  importance  of  his  trust,  and  the  certainty 
of  receiving  prompt  and  effective  assistance  from 
his  comrades,  would,  no  doubt,  fight  most  des- 
I)erately,  unless  he  could  be  taken  at  disad- 
vantage and  secured  before  he  had  time  to  think 
of   resistance.     Besides,   the   cabin   was   scarcely 


64         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

fifty  feet  distant  from  the  house,  which  Frank 
knew  was  filled  with  men,  for  he  could  hear  them 
walking  about  the  rooms  and  talking  to  each 
other.  The  least  unusual  noise  would  certainly 
alarm  them,  in  which  case  escape  would  be  en- 
tirely out  of  the  question.  Frank,  we  say,  thought 
over  all  these  things,  and  finally  coming  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  would  be  worse  than  useless 
to  attempt  the  capture  of  the  mail,  turned  his 
attention  to  the  house.  How  was  he  to  set 
fire  to  it? 

Frank,  we  know,  was  not  wanting  in  courage, 
but  he  had  learned,  by  experience,  that  there 
are  times  when  "discretion  is  the  better  part 
of  valor."  When  he  proposed  the  expedition, 
he  had  not  expected  to  find  the  entire  regiment 
quartered  in  the  house.  He  had  supposed  that 
the  men  would  find  sleeping-rooms  in  the  negro 
quarters,  which  were  nearly  a  half  mile  back 
while  the  house  would  be  reserved  for  the  officers. 
But  the  rebels  surely  would  not  remain  up  all 
night,  and  when  they  had  all  gone  to  bed  would 
be  the  time  to  execute  his  purpose.    He  would 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         65 

not  abandon  his  project  until  he  had  given  it 
a  trial,  or  fully  satisfied  himself  that  the  under- 
taking was  utterly  impracticable.  For  the  pres- 
ent, he  would  remain  where  he  was;  some- 
thing might  "turn  up"  which  would  be  to  his 
advantage. 

At  this  moment  a  man  entered  the  cabin, 
the   door   of   which   stood    open,    and   inquired: 

"Going  over  to-night,  Stiles?" 

Frank  was  thunderstruck,  and  he  now  saw 
the  necessity  of  attempting  nothing  unless  it 
l)romised  complete  success.  As  the  reader  has 
already  learned,  he  was  among  his  old  enemies, 
the  Wild-cats.  Upon  making  this  discovery  he 
was  both  astonished  and  alarmed — astonished, 
for  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  could  scarcely  make 
a  move  in  any  direction  without  being  confronted 
by  the  redoubtable  Wild-cats.  This  was  the 
second  time  he  had  found  himself  among  them 
before  he  was  aware  of  it.  He  was  alarmed, 
because  he  knew,  by  experience,  the  treatment 
he  would  receive  if  he  should  fall  into  their  hands 
without  the  prospect  of  an  immediate  exchange. 


66         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

But  his  attention  was  again  drawn  to  the 
men  in  the  cabin. 

"Yes,"  replied  Stiles,  in  answer  to  his  compan- 
ion's question,  "I'm  going  over  to-night — allers 
makin'  due  'lowance  for  bein'  ketched  by  the 
Yanks." 

"Here's  some  mail,  then,"  continued  the  man, 
thrusting  several  letters  into  the  bag.  "How 
soon  do  you  start?" 

"Jest  as  soon  as  Tibbs  comes  with  the  up- 
country  mail,  an'  I  get  the  kernel's  letters.  Was 
you  takin'  a  chaw  of  tobaker,  Bob?" 

"No,  I  wasn't,"  rephed  the  other,  quickly 
thrusting  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  as  if  to  pro- 
tect the  precious  article.     "Tobacco  is  scarce." 

"Now,  Bob,"  said  Stiles,  "I  know  you've 
got  some.     Me  an'  you's  allers  been  good  friends." 

The  rebel  could  not  withstand  this  appeal, 
although  he  produced  his  "plug"  very  reluctantly, 
and  as  he  handed  it  to  his  companion,  said : 

"Stiles,  you're  a  dead  beat.  Go  easy  on  that, 
now,  if  you  please,  because  it's  all  there  is  in 
the  regiment," 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         67 

The  rebel  cut  off  a  huge  piece  of  the  weed, 
and,  thrusting  it  into  his  cheek,  went  on  with 
his  work,  while  Bob  returned  to  his  quarters. 
He  had  scarcely  quitted  the  cabin  before  Frank 
had  all  his  plans  laid.  He  would  go  back  after 
Archie,  and  together  they  would  lie  in  wait  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and,  if  possible,  capture 
that  mail.  With  this  determination,  he  was 
moving  slowly  away  from  the  cabin,  when  a 
door,  which  he  had  not  before  noticed,  suddenly 
opened,  and  Stiles  came  out,  and  turning  the 
corner,  stood  face  to  face  with  Frank,  and  scarcely 
an  arm's  length  from  him.  With  the  latter, 
retreat  without  discovery  was,  of  course,  impos- 
sible. There  was  but  one  course  he  could  pur- 
sue, and  that  presented  but  a  small  chance  for 
success.  He  was,  however,  allowed  no  time  for 
deliberation,  for  the  rebel  quickly  recovering 
from  his  surprise,  turned  to  run;  but  with  one 
bound  Frank  overtook  him,  and  throwing  him 
to  the  ground,  caught  him  by  the  throat,  stifling, 
a  cry  for  help  that  arose  to  his  lips.  This  it 
was  that   had   alarmed   the  colonel   and  Archie; 


68         FRAXK  OX  THE  LOWER  MISSISSITFI. 

and  had  the  fonner  investigated  the  matter, 
Frank  would  again  have  been  a  prisoner  in  the 
hands  of  the  Wild-cats. 

Stiles  struggled  desperately  to  free  himself 
from  the  strong  grasp  that  held  him,  until  Frank 
pulled  one  of  his  revolvers  from  the  pocket  of 
his  pea-jacket   and   presented  it   at  his  head. 

"Do  you  surrender?"  he  asked,  releasing  his 
hold  of  the  rebel's  throat. 

"Yes,"  replied  Stiles,  faintly.  "Don't  shoot, 
Yank!" 

"You  shall  not  be  harmed  if  you  behave  your- 
self.    Have  you  any  weapons?" 

"Xo!    They  are  all  in  the  shanty!" 

Frank,  after  searching  the  rebel's  pockets  and 
satisfying  himself  of  the  truth  of  this  statement, 
continued: 

"Get  up!  Now,  I  know  you  have  friends  all 
aroimd  you,  but  if  you  have  the  least  desire  to 
live,  you'll  not  make  any  noise;  although  you 
may  alarm  the  camp,  it  will  not  save  you.  Do 
you  understand?" 

"Have  I  got  a  pair  of  ears?"  asked  the  rebel. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         09 

"Well,  if  you  have,  j'ou  hear  what  I  say," 
returned  Frank.  "Now  go  this  way,"  he  added, 
pointing  toward  the  river. 

The  rebel,  who  had  a  wholesome  fear  of  the 
revolver  which  Frank  held  in  his  hand,  ready 
cocked,  obeyed,  without  the  slightest  hesita- 
tion, and  they  reached  the  bank  of  the  river, 
where  the  cutter  lay,  Vv'ithout  being  discovered. 

"Now,"  said  Frank,  "I  want  to  ask  you  a 
few  questions.  Where  do  you  keep  the  boat 
in  which  you  were  going  to  carry  that  mail?" 

"In  the  creek,  jest  above  where  that  ar'  gun- 
boat lies,"  replied  Stilas. 

"How  many  of  you  were  to  go?" 

"Two — me  an'  another  feller," 

"Well,  now,  the  colonel  won't  find  you  when 
he  wants  you.     What  will  he  do?" 

"Oh,  he'll  send  some  body  else.  The  mall 
must  go,  an'  it  makes  no  odds  v\ho  takes  it,  so 
long  as  he  don't  get  ketched." 

"That's  all  I  want  to  know,"  said  Frank. 
Then,  going  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  ho  called  out: 

"Tom,  come  up  here!" 


70         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  coxswain  soon  made  his  appearance,  and 
Frank  said: 

"Now,  Stiles,  you're  a  prisoner." 

"Dog  gone  ef  I  keer,"  he  replied,  "so  long 
as  I  get  plenty  of  grub  an'  tobaker." 

The  rebel  was  marched  down  the  bank,  and 
Frank  again  bent  his  steps  toward  the  house, 
intending  to  find  his  cousin,  and,  with  his  as- 
sistance, to  capture  the  mail.  When  he  arrived 
at  the  tree  where  he  had  left  Archie,  the  latter 
was  not  to  be  seen.  This,  however,  did  not  give 
him  any  uneasiness,  for  4.rchie,  he  thought, 
had  doubtless  gone  back  to  the  cutter.  Frank 
had  already  made  up  his  mind  to  go  back  after 
him,  when  he  saw  a  man  walk  up  to  the  cabin 
in  which  he  had  first  discovered  the  man  who 
was  now  his  prisoner,  and  heard  him  call  out: 

"Massa  Stiles!  de  mail  all  ready,  sar!" 

Receiving  no  answer,  the  negro  walked  into 
the  cabin,  but  finding  it  vacant,  went  out  to 
make  the  report  to  the  colonel  that  Stiles  was 
not  to  be  found.  From  this  Frank  knew  that 
he  had  no  time  to  lose.     Stiles  had  told  him  that 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         71 

some  one  else  would  be  sent  with  the  mail,  and 
as  it  was  all  ready.,  a  man  would  soon  be  found 
to  take  his  place.  If  he  went  back  after  Archie, 
he  might  be  too  late.  He  must  attempt  it  alone, 
and  unaided.  Walking  out  from  behind  the  tree, 
he  started  toward  the  creek,  where  lay  the  boat 
in  which  the  mail  was  to  be   carried. 

The  creek  he  found  without  difficulty;  but 
the  boat  was  evidently  hidden  away,  for  he 
searched  up  and  down  the  bank  for  it  without 
success.  If  he  found  it,  it  was  his  intention  to 
cut  it  loose,  and  allow  it  to  drift  out  into  the 
river,  thus  depriving  the  rebels  of  the  means 
of  carrying  their  mail.  But  failing  in  this,  he 
ran  up  the  bank,  and  awaited  the  coming  of 
the  rebels.  It  was  a  hazardous  undertaking  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  two  men,  both  of  whom 
were,  no  doubt,  well  armed;  but  Frank  had 
great  confidence  in  the  looks  of  his  revolvers, 
and  hoped  to  accomplish  his  object  without 
alarming  the  rebels  in  the  house. 

He  had  waited  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
when  he  heard  footsteps  approaching,  and  pres- 


72         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

cnlly  he  discovered  the  two  men  for  wlioiii  he 
had  been  watching.  One  carried  the  mail-bags, 
and  the  other  a  [lair  of  oars,  the  same,  no  doubt, 
which  Stiles  had  but  a  short  time  before  com- 
pleted, Frank  waited  until  they  were  almost 
upon  him,  and  then  sprang  up  with  a  revolver 
in  each  hand,  which  he  pointed  straight  at  the 
heads  of  the  men,  exclaiming: 

"You're  my  prisoners.  Don't  make  any  re- 
sistance." 

The  rebels  were  astonished,  and  the  man  who 
carried  the  mail-bags  threw  them  down  and  held 
his  arms  above  his  head,  in  token  of  surrender. 
But  the  other,  after  regarding  the  officer  for  a 
moment,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  it  was  a  human 
being  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  dropped  his 
oars,  and  before  his  captor  was  aware  of  his 
intention,  drew  a  pistol  and  fired.  Frank  felt 
a  sharp  pain  in  his  left  shoulder,  and  the  revol- 
ver which  he  held  in  that  hand  fell  from  his  grasp. 
He  had  received  his  first  wound,  but  although 
thoroughly  frightened,  he  did  not  lose  his  pres- 
ence of  mind.     If  he  had,  he  would  soon  have 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         73 

been  recalled  to  a  sense  of  his  dangerous  situa- 
tion, for  the  rebel  again  cocked  his  revolver; 
but  this  time  Frank  fired  first,  and  the  rebel 
sank  to  the  ground  with  a  loud  yell.  In  an  in- 
stant Frank  turned  upon  the  other;  but  he 
appeared  to  be  too  much  under  the  influence 
of  fear   to   lend   his   comrade   any   assistance. 

All  thought  of  concealment  was  now  out  of 
the  question.  The  rebels  in  the  house  had,  of 
course,  been  alarmed,  and  Frank's  only  chance 
for  escape  with  his  prisoner  and  the  mail  was 
to  reach  the  cutter  as  soon  as  possible,  and  pull 
off  to  the  vessel.  Hastily  relieving  the  prisoner 
of  his  weapons,  he  directed  him  to  pick  up  the 
mail  and  follow  the  course  he  pointed  out. 

The  prisoner  did  as  he  was  ordered;  but  they 
had  not  gone  far  when  a  loud  yelling  announced 
that  the  rebels  in  the  house  had  been  alarmed, 
and  were  in  pursuit.  Frank  kept  close  behind 
his  prisoner,  who,  through  fear  of  the  revolver, 
ran  at  a  rapid  rate,  but  they  had  further  to  run 
to  reach  the  cutter  than  the  guerrillas,  and  the 
latter   gained    rnpidly.     The    prisoner,    who    was 


74         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

not  long  in  discovering  this,  slackened  his  pace 
considerably,  although  he  appeared  to  be  doing 
his  utmost.  Frank,  however,  was  not  deceived. 
Thrusting  his  revolver  into  his  pocket,  he  seized 
the  rebel  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  and  helped 
him  over  the  ground  in  a  manner  more  rapid 
than  agreeable.  Had  the  man  been  aware  of 
the  fact  that  his  captor  had  but  one  arm  that 
he  could  use,  he  might  not  have  submitted  so 
quietly  as  he  did.  Frank,  whose  whole  mind 
was  wrapped  up  in  the  idea  of  saving  his  pris- 
oner and  the  mail,  did  not  stop  to  think  of  this, 
but  pushed  his  man  ahead  to  such  good  advan- 
tage that  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  cutter 
before  their  pursuers.  He  marched  the  rebel 
down  the  bank  in  the  most  lively  manner,  and 
tumbled  him  into  the  boat,  where  he  was  in- 
stantly seized  and  secured. 

The  sailors,  who  had  heard  the  noise  of  the 
pursuit,  and  waited  impatiently  for  the  appear- 
ance of  their  officer,  were  all  in  their  places, 
and  as  Frank  sprang  in,   lie  shouted: 

"Shove  off — lively  now,  lads!'' 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         75 

The  cutter  was  speedily  pushed  from  the  shore, 
and  the  oars  got  out  and  handled  by  twelve 
strong   fellows,    all    good    oarsmen. 

"Let  fall — give  away  together,"  again  com- 
manded Frank,  who,  in  spite  of  the  pain  of  his 
wound,  began  to  chuckle  over  his  good  luck  in 
securing  the  mail.  "The  rebs  will  give  us  a 
volley,"  he  continued,  "unless  we  get  out  of  sight 
in  the  darkness  before  they  reach  the  bank.  So, 
pick  her  up,  lads,  and  walk  right  away  with  her." 

The  sailors,  understanding  the  order,  and  re- 
joicing in  the  escape  of  their  young  officer,  whose 
safety  and  well-being  they  regarded  as  infi- 
nitely of  more  importance  than  their  own,  gave 
way  manfully  on  the  muffled  oars,  which  made  no 
sound  as  they  bent  beneath  the  sturdy  strokes, 
and  the  cutter  flew  noiselessly  through  the  water. 
The  rebels  reached  the  bank  but  a  few  moments 
after  the  cutter  had  left,  but  neither  seeing  nor 
hearing  any  thing  of  her,  they  contented  them- 
selves with  uttering  their  yells,  and  firing  a  volley 
into  the  darkness  in  the  direction  they  supposed 
the  boat  had  gone. 


76         FRANK  ON  Tin:  WWI:R  Mf  SSI  SSI  PPL 

But  their  attention  was  soon  called  to  another 
quarter,  for  a  bright  flame  shot  up  from  the  house. 
The  boat's  crew  saw  it,  and  could  scarcely  re- 
frain hurrahing;  but  knowing  that  they  were  not 
yet  out  of  range  of  the  guerrillas'  rifles,  they 
gave  vent  to  their  jubilant  feelings  by  redou- 
bling their  efTorts  at  the  oars. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  whispered  the  coxswaui,  "may 
I  be  allowed  to  say  that  was  well  done,  sir!" 

"I  didn't  do  (hat,  Tom,"  answered  Frank, 
in  a  faint  voice,  as  he  gazed  in  surprise  at  the 
burning  house,  and  thought  of  his  cousin.  "Is 
Paymaster    Winters    in    the    cutter?" 

Frank  hardly  dared  to  ask  the  question,  for 
if  his  cousin  had  been  in  the  boat  he  would  have 
known  it  before  that  time. 

"The  paymaster!"  repeated  the  coxswain;  "no, 
sir.  He  went  away  with  you,  sir,  and  I  haven't 
seen   him   since.     He's   missing,   that's   a  fact." 

Frank  felt  ready  to  faint  on  hearing  this,  and 
very  bitterly  did  he  censure  himself  for  allow- 
ing his  cousin  to  accompany  him!  But  regrets 
were  useless;    the  mischief  had  been  done,  and 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.        77 

could  not  be  undone.  He  had  one  hope,  how- 
ever, to  which  he  still  clung — that  Archie  might 
be  on  board  the  vessel.  Perhaps,  not  daring 
to  attempt  to  find  his  way  back  to  the  cutter, 
through  fear  of  capture,  he  had  swam  on  board 
and  was  now  safe.     He  would  soon  know. 

In  a  few  moments  they  had  reached  the  Boxer, 
and  as  the  cutter  came  alongside,  Frank  seized 
the  mail-bags  and  sprang  out.  After  giving  the 
officer  of  the  deck,  wlio  met  him  at  llie  gangway, 
instructions  in  regard  to  the  prisoners,  he  ran 
up  the  stairs  that  led  to  the  wardroom.  Here 
he  met  the  captain,  who,  taking  him  familiarly 
by  the  arm,  led  him  into  the  cabin,  exclaiming: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  I  congratulate  you,  sir;  it  was 
well  done,   sir!    The   house   is  all   in   a  blaze." 

"Captain,"  said  Frank,  "I  didn't  do  that, 
sir.     Is  the  paymaster  on  board?" 

"Why,  no,  sir;  not  unless  he  came  with  you." 

"I  haven't  seen  him,  captain,  since  I  left  him 
within  a  short  distance  of  that  house.  If  he 
is  not  on  board,  sir,  he's  out  there  yet,  and  he 
has  fired  the  buildino;." 


78         FRANK  ON  THE  LOU'ER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Why,  Mr.  Nelson,"  exclaimed  the  captam, 
for  the  first  time  noticing  Frank's  pale  face  and 
useless  hand,  from  which  the  blood  wa,s  dripping, 
"you  are  wounded  sir.  Orderly,  orderly,  send 
the  doctor  here  at  once." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         79 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    RUN    FOR   LIFE. 

Aechie  was  tis  light  of  foot  as  an  antelope, 
and  fear  lent  him  wings.  In  obedience  to  his 
cousin's  instructions,  he  ran  up  the  river,  direct- 
ing his  course  through  a  thick  woods,  jumping 
over  logs  and  making  his  way  through  the  bushes 
with  a  rapidity  that  surprised  himself.  The  rebel 
who  had  discovered  him  followed  for  a  short 
distance,  but  finding  that  he  was  losing  ground, 
he  stopped  and  fired  his  revolver  in  the  direc- 
tion he  supposed  Archie  had  gone;  but  the  bullets 
went  wide  of  the  mark,  and  the  latter,  who  now 
regarded  his  escape  as  a  thing  beyond  a  doubt, 
laughed  when  he  thought  how  cleverly  he  had 
accomplished   the  object  of   the  expedition. 

Having  reached  a  safe  distance  from  the  house, 


so         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

he  stopped  and  listened.  He  distinctly  heard 
the  crackling  of  flames,  and  presently  a  bright 
light  shone  over  the  trees.  The  building  was 
fairly  in  a  blaze.  He  was,  however,  allowed 
scarcely  a  moment  to  congratulate  himself,  for 
the  yells  of  the  guerrillas  plainly  told  him  that 
they  had  discovered  the  fire,  and  were  commenc- 
ing pursuit.  Archie  again  set  out,  intent  on 
reaching  clear  ground  as  soon  as  possible,  for 
he  knew  that  no  plan  would  be  left  untried  to 
capture  him.  His  situation  was  still  any  thing 
but  a  pleasant  one,  but  he  was  sanguine  of  reach- 
ing the  vessel  in  safety,  until  a  long-drawn-out 
bay  came  echoing  through  the  woods,  and  drove 
the  blood  back  upon  his  heart.  The  rebels  were 
following  him  with  a  blood-hoimd! 

For  a  moment  Archie  staggered  as  though  he 
liad  been  struck  a  severe  blow  by  some  unseen 
hand,  but  quickly  realizing  the  fact  that  his 
safety  depended  upon  his  own  exertions  and 
the  use  he  made  of  the  next  few  moments,  he 
speedily  recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  and 
hastily  securing  his  revolvers,  which,  up  to  this 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         81 

time,  he  had  carried  in  the  pockets  of  his  pea- 
jacket,  he  piilled  off  that  garment,  and  throwing 
it  on  the  ground,  started  off  at  the  top  of  his 
speed. 

Being  thus  reUeved  of  a  great  incumbrance, 
he  made  headway  rapidly,  but,  fast  as  he  ran, 
he  heard  that  dreadful  sound  coming  nearer, 
mingled  with  loud  yells  of  triumph  from  the 
pursuing  rebels.  He  had,  with  surprise  and  in- 
dignation, listened  to  Frank's  description  of  his 
run  from  Shreveport,  when  he  and  his  companions 
had  been  pursued  with  blood-hounds,  little  imag- 
ining that  he  would  ever  be  placed  in  a  similar 
situation. 

And  how  did  it  happen  that  he  had  not  aroused 
the  hound  while  he  was  about  the  house?  Had 
he  moved  so  silently  that  the  animal  had  not 
heard  him,  or  had  he  been  in  the  building  with 
the  men?  This  question  Archie  could  not  an- 
swer. But  one  thing  was  certain,  and  that  was 
that  the  hound  was,  at  that  very  moment,  on 
his  trail,  and  unless  he  soon  reached  the  river 
his    capture    was    beyond    a   doubt.    He,    how- 


i 


82         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

ever,  had  no  fears  of  being  overpowered  by  tlie 
hound.  He  fully  realized  the  fact  that  he  would 
soon  be  overtaken,  arul  had  resolved  to  shoot 
the  animal  the  moment  he  made  his  appearance. 
The  yells  of  the  rebels  grew  fainter,  and  Archie 
knew  he  was  gaining  on  them.  This  gave  him 
encouragement.  In  fact,  since  the  hound  had 
opened  on  his  trail,  after  the  first  momentary 
feeling  of  terror  had  vanished,  he  had  retained 
his  coolness  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and  had 
counted  over  his  chances  for  capture  and  escape 
with  surprising  deliberation  for  one  who  had 
never  before  been  placed  in  so  exciting  and  dan- 
gerous a  situation.  We  have  seen  that  he  felt 
fear.  Had  it  been  otherwise  he  must  have  pos- 
sessed nerves  of  steel,  or  have  been  utterly  des- 
titute of  the  power  of  reasoning;  but  that  fear 
did  not  so  completely  overpower  him  as  it  had 
but  a  short  time  before,  when  he  lay  behind  the 
bush,  and  listened  to  the  guerrillas'  plan  for 
the  capture  of  the  Boxer  and  her  crew.  On 
the  contrary,  it  nerved  him  to  make  the  greatest 
exertions  to  effect  his  escape. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         S3 

In  a  few  moments,  to  his  great  jo}',  he  emerged 
from  the  woods  and  entered  an  open  field,  across 
which  he  ran  with  redoubled  speed.  Directly 
in  front  of  him  was  another  belt  of  timber,  and 
beyond  that  lay  the  river,  which,  if  he  could 
reach,  he  would  be  safe.  The  baying  of  the 
hound  had  continued  to  grow  louder  and  louder, 
and,  when  Archie  had  accomplished  perhaps  half 
the  distance  across  the  field,  a  crashing  in  the 
bushes  and  an  impatient  bark  announced,  in  lan- 
guage too  plain  to  be  misunderstood,  that  the 
hound  had  discovered  him. 

In  an  instant  he  stopped,  faced  about,  and 
drew  one  of  his  revolvers.  Stooping  down  close 
to  the  ground,  he  finally  discovered  the  hound, 
which  approached  with  loud  yelps,  that  were 
answered  by  triumphant  cheers  from  the  pur- 
suing rebels.  Waiting  until  the  animal  was  so 
close  to  him  that  he  presented  a  fair  mark,  Archie 
raised  his  revolver  and  fired.  The  hound 
bounded  into  the  air,  and,  after  a  few  struggles 
lay  motionless  on  the  ground.  Scarcely  wait- 
ing to  witness  the  effect  of  the  shot,  the  young 


81         FRANK  ON  TllL  LOWER  Mh'SSISSlPPI. 

officer  s[)rang  to  his  feet,  and  again  started  for 
the  river.  The  yells  of  the  rebels — who  had 
heard  the  shot,  and  knew,  from  the  silence  that 
followed,  that  the  hound  was  dead — again  arose 
fierce  and  loud;  but  Archie,  knowing  that  his 
pursuers  had  now  lost  the  power  of  following 
him  with  certainty,  considered  the  worst  part 
of  the  danger  as  past. 

But  he  had  to  deal  with  those  who  could  not 
be  easily  deceived.  Colonel  Harrison,  knowing 
that  the  only  chance  for  escape  was  by  the  river, 
had  lined  the  banks  with  men,  and,  as  Archie 
neared  the  woods,  a  voice  directly  in  front  of 
him  called  out: 

"It's  all  up  now,  Yank!  Drop  that  shootin' 
iron,  or  you're  a  gone  sucker!" 

Archie's  heart  fairly  came  up  into  his  mouth. 
He  had  little  expected  to  find  an  enemy  in  that 
quarter,  but,  without  waiting  an  instant,  he 
turned  and  lan  up  the  river  again,  hoping  that 
he  might  soon  be  able  to  get  above  the  sentinels. 
The  rebel,  liearing  the  sound  of  his  footsteps, 
and    knowing    that    he    was    retreating,  shouted: 


FRAXK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.  85 

"Halt,  Yank!  halt!  or  I'll  shoot— blamed  if  I 
don't!" 

And  he  did  shoot,  and  Archie  heard  the  bullet 
as   it  sung  through   the  air  behind   him. 

The  rebel,  without  stopping  to  load  his  gun 
started  in  pursuit;  but  Archie,  who  was  running 
for  his  life,  soon  left  him  behind.  As  the  latter 
ran  he  heard  shots  fired  on  all  sides  of  him, 
showing   that   he  was   completely  surrounded. 

Escape  seemed  utterly  impossible ;  and  fearing 
that  he  might  run  into  the  very  midst  of  the 
guerrillas  when  he  least  expected  it,  he  threw 
himself  behind  a  log  in  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
and  awaited  the  Issue  "of  events  with  feelings  that 
can  not  l^e  described.  He  now  had  little  hoi)e 
of  being  able  to  elutle  his  pursuers,  who,  he  was 
certain,  would  keep  the  river  closely  guarded 
until  daylight,  when  they  would  soon  discover 
his  hiding-place.  He  could  not  go  on  without 
fear  of  running  against  some  of  his  enemies, 
in  the  dark,  and  to  remain  where  he  was,  ap- 
peared equally  dangerous.  But  of  one  thing 
he  was  certain — and  as  the  thought  passed  through 


86         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

his  miiK),  he  chitchod  his  revolvers  desperately — 
and  that  was,  if  ho  was  captured,  it  would  re- 
(jiiire  more  than  one  man  to  do  it. 

Presently  he  heard  footsteps  approaching,  and 
two  rebels  came  up.  One  of  them  he  knew,  by 
his  voice,  was  the  very  man  who  had  just  fired 
at  him. 

"I   know  he   went   this   yere   way,"   said   he. 

"Wal,  hold  on  a  minit,"  said  the  other,  panting 
loudly;  "let's  rest  a  leetle— I'm  nigh  gin  out;" 
and  he  seated  himself  so  close  to  Archie  that, 
had  it  been  daylight,  he  would  certainly  have 
been  discovered. 

"I'll  be  dog-gone,"  said  the  one  who  had  first 
spoken,  "ef  this  'ere  night's  work  don't  beat  all 
natur'.  Them  ar'  Yanks  ain't  no  fools,  dog 
ef  they  ar!" 

"Who'd  a  thought  it?"  returned  his  compan- 
ion. "Them  ar  two  fellers  come  out  here  an' 
burn  a  house  with  more'n  three  hundred  men 
in  it?  Dog-gone!  But  how  did  that  other  fel- 
ler get  away?" 

"Oh,    he   had    a   boat,"    answered    the   other, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         87 

"an'  he  got  thar  afore  we  could  ketch  him.  He's 
on  board  his  gunboat  afore  this  time.  I  jest 
ketched  a  ghmpse  of  him  as  he  was  goin'  down 
the  bank.  He  had  Damon  by  the  neck,  an' 
he  was  makin'  him  walk  turkey,  now  I  tell  yer." 

"Damon  ketched!"  ejaculated  his  companion. 
"An'  what's   come    on   the    kernel's   mail?" 

"Gone  up — the  hul  on  it!  Damon's  got  the 
bracelets  on  by  this  time.  But  come,  let's  go 
on." 

All  this  while  the  rebels  had  been  coming  up, 
and  Archie  could  hear  them  in  the  woods,  on  all 
sides  of  him,  yelling  and  swearing,  like  demons. 
He  had  one  source  of  consolation,  however — his 
cousin  was  safe;  and,  judging  by  the  rebels' 
conversation,  he  had  not  gone  back  to  the  vessel 
empty-handed, 

Ai'chic  lay  for  some  time  listening  to  the  move- 
ments of  the  rebels,  almost  afraid  to  breathe  lest 
it  should  be  overheard,  when  he  was  suddenly 
startled  by  a  stiuining  report,  which  was  followed 
by  a  hissing  and  shrieking  in  the  air;  a  bright 
light  shone  in  his  eyes  for  an  instant,  and  the 


88         Fh'ANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

next,  the  woods  eehoed  with  the  bursthig  of  a 
shell .  The  guerrillas  had  scarcely  time  to  re- 
cover from  their  astonishment  when  there  came 
another,  and  another,  each  one  followed  by  groans 
and  cries  of  anguish  that  made  the  young  officer 
shudder. 

Frank  Nelson  had  gained  the  Boxer  in  safety, 
and  although  surprised  and  alarmed  at  the  ab- 
sence of  Archie — who,  he  thought,  would  make  the 
best  of  his  way  back  to  the  vessel  when  left  to 
himself — he  knew  by  the  yelling  of  the  rebels, 
and  the  pistol-shots  that  were  occasionally  heard, 
that  they  had  not  yet  captured  him.  The  noise  of 
the  chase  plainly  told  the  Boxer's  crew  that  the 
fugitive  was  making  the  best  of  his  way  up  the 
river,  and  Frank  had  opened  fire  on  the  rebels 
to  create,  if  possible,  a  diversion  in  his  cousin's 
favor.  His  shells  were  thrown  with  fatal  ac- 
curacy, and  the  guerrillas,  taken  completely  by 
surprise,  and  having  no  levee  to  protect  them 
beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

Although  threatened  by  a  new  danger,  Archie 
was  so  overjoyed  that  he  could  scarcely  refrain 


FRAXK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         89 

from  shouting,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  satisfied 
that  his  pursuers  were  out  of  hearing,  he  crawled 
from  his  concealment  and  ran  toward  the  river. 
The  shells  still  kept  dropping  into  the  woods  at 
regular  intervals,  making  music  most  pleasant  to 
Archie's  ears,  for  he  knew  that  as  long  as  the 
fire  was  continued,  his  chances  for  escape  were 
increased.  But  in  his  eagerness  he  never  thought 
of  the  men  who  had  been  posted  on  the  bank, 
and  as  he  dashed  through  the  woods,  several 
shots  were  fired  at  him  by  the  rebels  concealed 
in  the  bushes.  But  he  reached  the  water  in  safety, 
and  struck  out  for  the  vessel.  A  few  random 
shots  were  fired  at  him,  which  Archie  heard 
as  they  whistled  past  him;  but  his  good  for- 
tune had  not  deserted  him,  and  he  again  escapotl 
unhurt.  The  reports  of  the  guns  on  board  the 
Boxer  pointed  out  the  direction  in  which  he 
was  to  go,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he  was 
within  hailing-distance  of  the  vessel.  The  splash- 
ing he  made  in  the  water  soon  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  sentry  on  the  forecastle,  who, 
having   been .  instructed   by   Frank,   had   kept   a 


90         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

good  look-out.  A  rope  was  thrown  to  Archie, 
who  was  pulled  on  board  the  vessel  in  a  state 
of  complete  exhaustion. 

Frank  was  soon  informed  of  the  safe  return  of 
his  cousin,  and  Archie,  almost  too  weak  to  speak 
plainly,  was  carried  to  his  room,  where,  after 
being  divested  of  his  wet  clothes,  he  was  put 
to  bed,  and  left  in  a  sound  sleep.  The  next 
morning,  however,  he  appeared  in  the  mess- 
room,  as  lively  as  ever,  and  none  the  worse  for 
his  long  run;  while  Frank,  who  began  to  suffer 
from  his  wound,  was  confined  to  his  bed. 

The  latter  listened  to  his  cousin's  narration 
of  the  part  he  had  borne  in  the  expedition,  and 
in  admiration  of  Archie's  bravery,  forgot  the 
lecture  he  had  intended  to  administer.  The  of- 
ficers, who  had  not  expected  such  an  exliibition 
of  courage  in  one  whose  cheek  had  blanched 
at  the  whistle  of  a  rebel  bullet,  were  astonished, 
and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  no  more  jokes  were 
indulged  in  at  the  expense  of  the  "green  pay- 
master." 

For   two   months   Frank   held    his   position   as 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         91 

executive  officer  of  the  Boxer,  during  which 
time  the  vessel  was  twice  inspected  by  the  ad- 
miral. He  now  had  little  to  do  beyond  the 
regular  routine  of  ship  duties,  for  the  guerrilla- 
station  had  been  broken  up  by  the  burning  of 
the  plantation-house,  and  vessels  were  seldom 
fired  into  on  the  Boxer's  beat.  But  this  was 
not  to  continue  long,  for,  one  day,  the  dispatch- 
boat  brought  orders  for  him  to  report  on  board 
the  Michigan — which  lay  at  the  mouth  of  Red 
River — as  executive  officer  of  that  vessel. 

This  was  still  another  advancement,  for  the 
Michigan  was  an  iron-clad,  mounted  fourteen 
guns,  and  had  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  seventy 
men.  But  Frank  would  have  preferred  to  re- 
main in  his  present  position.  After  consider- 
able hard  work,  he  had  brought  the  Boxer's 
crew  into  an  admirable  state  of  discipline;  every 
thing  about  decks  went  off  as  smoothly  as  could 
be  desired,  and  besides,  Archie  was  on  board, 
and  he  did  not  wish  to  leave  him.  But  he  never 
hesitated  to  obey  his  orders,  and  as  soon  as  he 
had   packed   his  trunk,   and   taken  leave  of  his 


02         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

messmates,  he  went  on  board  the  dispatch-boat, 
and  in  a  few  days  arrived  at  his  new  vesseh 

The  captain  of  the  Michigan  had  written  to 
the  admiral,  requesting  that  a  ''first-class,  ex- 
perienced officer"  might  be  sent  him  for  an  ex- 
ecutive, but  when  Frank  presented  himself  and 
produced  his  orders,  that  gentleman  w^as  aston- 
ished. After  regarding  the  young  officer  sharply 
for  a  moment,  he  said: 

"The  admiral,  no  doubt,  knows  his  own  busi- 
ness, but  let  me  tell  you,  young  man,  that  you 
have  no  easy  task  before  you." 

He  no  doubt  thought  that  a  person  of  Frank's 
years  was  utterly  incapable  of  filling  so  respon- 
sible a  position.  The  latter,  with  his  usual  mod- 
esty, replied  that  he  would  endeavor  to  do  his 
duty,  and  after  he  had  seen  his  baggage  taken 
care  of,  he  went  into  the  w^ardroom,  where  he 
found  a  young  officer  seated  at  the  table  reading. 
He  arose  as  Frank  entered,  and  thrusting  out 
his  hand,   greeted   him  with — 

"I'm  glad  to  meet  you  again,  Mr.  Nelson, 
and  among  friends,  too." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         93 

It  was  George  Le  Dell,  the  escaped  prisoner, 
whom  he  had  met  during  his  memorable  flight 
from  Shreveport.  Frank  had  not  seen  him,  nor 
even  heard  of  him,  since  he  had  left  him  on  board 
the  Ticondcroga;  but  here  he  was,  ''among 
the  defenders  of  the  Old  Flag"  again,  in  fulfil- 
ment of  the  promise  he  had  made  his  rebel  father, 
in  the  letter  which  Frank  had  read  to  his  fellow 
fugitives  in  the  woods,  where  they  harl  halted 
for  the  day.  He  was  not  changed^iis  face 
still  wore  that  sorrowful  expression — and  Frank 
found  that  he  rarely  took  part  in  the  conver- 
sation around  the  mess-table.  He  was  an  ex- 
cellent officer,  the  especial  favorite  of  the  captain, 
and  beloved  by  all  his  messmates,  who,  very 
far  from  suspecting  the  cause  of  his  quiet  de- 
meanor,  called   him  "Silence." 

Frank  heartily  returned  his  cordial  greeting, 
and  the  two  friends  talked  for  a  long  time  of 
scenes  through  which  they  had  passed  together — 
subjects  still  fresh  in  their  memories — until  the 
entrance  of  an  officer  put  a  stop  to  the  conversa- 
tion.    Frank   uni.lerstood,   b)'  this,   that   he  was 


91         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

the  only  one  of  the  ship's  company  who  knew 
any  thing  of  George's  past  history. 

The  change  from  the  cool,  comfortable  quarters 
of  the  Boxer  to  the  hot  wardroom  of  the  iron- 
clad was  not  an  agreeable  one;  but  Frank  was 
not  the  one  to  complain,  and  he  entered  upon 
his  duties  with  his  accustomed  cheerfulness  and 
alacrity.  He  was  allowed  very  little  rest.  The 
captain  of  the  Michigan — which  was  the  flag- 
ship of  the  third  division  of  the  squadron — 
was  a  regular  officer,  who  believed  in  always 
keeping  the  men  busy  at  something,  and  Frank 
was  obliged  to  be  on  his  feet  from  morning  until 
night.  The  decks  were  scrubbed  every  day,  the 
bright  work  about  the  guns  and  engines  cleaned, 
the  small  boats  washed  out,  and  then  came  quar- 
ters, and  drilling  with  muskets  or  broad-swords. 
After  this,  if  there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done, 
the  outside  of  the  vessel  was  scrubbed,  or  the 
chimneys  repainted.  In  short,  the  Michigan  was 
the  pattern  of  neatness,  and  her  crew,  being  con- 
stantly drilled,  knew  exactly  what  was  required 
of  them,  and  were  ready  for  any  emergency. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         95 

For  several  months  little  occurred  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  yhip-life  beyond  making  regular 
trips  from  one  end  of  their  beat  to  the  other; 
but  when  spring  opened,  gunboats  and  trans- 
ports, loaded  with  soldiers,  began  to  assemble, 
and  preparations  were  made  for  the  Red  River 
expedition.  At  length  every  thing  was  ready, 
and  one  pleasant  morning  the  gunboats  weighed 
their  anchors  and  led  the  way  up  the  river. 

Frank  stood  on  deck  as  the  vessels  steamed 
along,  and  could  not  help  drawing  a  contrast 
between  his  present  position  and  the  one  in 
which  he  was  placed  when  he  first  saw  Red  River. 
Then,  he  and  his  companions  were  fugitives 
from  a  rebel  prison;  they  had  been  tracked  by 
blood-hounds,  and  followed  by  men  at  whose 
hands,  if  retaken,  they  coukl  expect  nothing 
but  death.  He  remembered  how  his  heart 
bounded  with  joy  on  the  morning  when  he  and 
his  associates,  in  their  leaky  dug-out,  had  ar- 
rived in  sight  of  the  Mississippi.  Then,  he  was 
ragged,  hatless,  and  almost  shoeless,  weary  with 
watching,  and  living  in  constant  fear  of  recap- 


06         FRANK  OX  TlIK  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

ture.  Now,  he  was  among  friends,  the  Old  Flag 
waved  above  him,  and  he  was  the  second  in 
command  of  one  of  the  finest  vessels  in  the 
squadron. 

The  passage  up  the  river  was  without  incident 
worthy  of  note,  and  in  a  short  time  they  arrived 
at  the  obstructions  which  the  rebels  had  placed 
in  the  river  nine  miles  below  Fort  De  Russy. 
A  vast  amount  of  time  and  labor  had  been  ex- 
pended upon  these  obstructions,  but  they  were 
speedily  cleared  away,  and  the  fleet  passed  on. 
They  had  expected  a  stubborn  resistance  at  the 
fort,  but  it  had  been  captured  by  the  army  after 
a  short  engagement,  and  the  gunboats  kept 
on  to  Alexandria. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISHWHIFFI.         97 


CHAPTER  VI. 

FRANK  TURNS    DETECTIVE. 

A  DAY  or  two  after  the  arrival  of  the  fleet 
at  Alexandria,  it  became  known  that  several 
persons  belonging  to  the  rebel  secret  service 
were  hovering  about  in  the  vicinity  of  the  vil- 
lage, with  the  intention  of  destroying  some  of 
the  vessels  by  torpedoes — contrivances  made  to 
resemble  pieces  of  coal — which  were  to  be  placed 
in  those  barges  out  of  which  the  boats  were  sup- 
plied with  fuel.  By  some  means  the  names 
of  these  persons  became  known  to  the  admiral, 
who  issued  a  general  order,  calling  on  all  the 
officers  of  the  squadron  to  kill  or  capture  them 
wherever  found. 

The  same  day  the  order  was  issued  Frank 
obtained  shore  liberty,  and  while  roaming  about 
the  to^ii,  espied  a  name  on  a  sign   that    inmie- 


98         FRANK  ON  Till-:  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

diately  attracted  bis  attention.  It  was  one  of 
the  names  borne  in  the  general  order. 

"There's  one  of  the  rascals,  now,"  soliloquized 
Frank,  "or,  rather,  where  he  has  been.  I  wonder 
where  he  is.  I'll  see  if  I  can't  find  out  some- 
thing about  him.  If  he  could  be  caught,  he 
woukl  be  put  in  a  place  whore  he  wouldn't  lay 
any  more    plans    to  blow  up  Union  gunboats." 

The  sign  which  had  attracted  his  attention 
bore  the  name  and  occupation  of  the  individual 
in    question — "S.    W.    Abboit,    Chemist." 

The  store  had  been  closed  on  the  approach  of 
the  Union  forces,  and  was  now  in  the  possession 
of  several  army  surgeons  and  their  assistants, 
who  were  overhauling  its  contents,  and  appro- 
priating whatever  they  thought  might  be  of 
service  to  them.  A  negro  was  leaning  against 
the  counter,   and   of   him   Frank   inquired — 

"Boy,  do  you  belong  here?" 

"No,  sar,"  he  answered,  indignantly;  "I  'longs 
nowhar.     I'se  a  free  man,  I  is.     I'se  a  soger." 

"Never  been  in  this  town  before?" 

"No,  sar." 


FEAXK  OX  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.         99 

Frank  left  the  store,  and  walked  slowly  up  the 
street  toward  the  hotel,  wondering  where  he 
could  go  to  make  inquiries  concerning  the  man 
whom  he  wished  to  find.  It  was  evident  that 
this  was  the  hardest  task  he  had  yet  undertaken. 
He  knew  the  rebel's  name,  and  that  was  all. 
He  had  no  idea  how  he  looked,  and,  although 
the  admiral's  order  stated  that  he  was  loiter- 
ing about  the  village,  he  might,  at  that  moment, 
be  fifty  miles  away,  or  Frank  might  have  al- 
ready passed  him  on  the  street. 

There  were  several  men  dressed  in  butternut 
clothes  hanging  about  the  hotel,  and  Frank  de- 
termined to  enter  into  conversation  with  one 
of  them,  and,  if  possible,  learn  something  about 
Abbott.  An  opportunity  was  soon  offered,  for 
one  of  the  butternuts  approached  him,  and  in- 
quired— 

"Got  any  Northern  money — ^greenbacks?" 

"Some,"  replied  Frank. 

"Wal,"  continued  the  man,  "Fll  give  you  five 
dollars  in  Confederate  money  fur  one  dollar  in 
greenbacks.     Is  it  a  bargain?" 


100       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Confederate  money!"  rei)eate(l  Frank.  "Of 
what  use  would  it  be  to  me?  And  I  am  greatly 
mistaken  if  it  will  be  of  use  to  you  much  longer." 

"Wal,  I  want  your  money  fur  a  keepsake," 
replied  the  man.  I  know  you'uns  don't  like  our 
money,  but  we'uns  hev  got  to  use  it  or  go  with- 
out any." 

"Well,  I'll  trade,"  said  Frank.  "Your  paper 
will  no  doubt  be  a  curiosity  to  the  folks  at  home." 
As  he  spoke,  he  produced  the  dollar,  and  the 
butternut  drew  out  of  his  capacious  pocket  a 
huge  roll  of  bills — tens,  twenties,  and  fifties, 
enough  to  have  made  liim  iiulependent  if  it  had 
been  good  money — and  selecting  a  five-dollar 
bill,  handed  it  to  Frank,  who  thrust  it  carelessly 
inlo  his  pocket. 

"I'll  allow  that  you'uns  don't  seem  to  be  a 
bad  lot  of  fellers,"  said  the  butternut;  "but  I 
don't  see  what  you'uns  want  to  come  down  hyar 
to  fight  we'uns  for.  We'uns  never  done  nothing 
to  you'uns." 

"Every  rebel  I  meet  saj's  the  same  thing," 
said  Frank.  "But  who  were  the  richest  men 
in  this  place  before  the  war  broke  out?" 


FRANK  OX  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       101 

The  mail  mentioned  several  names,  among 
which  was  that  of  Abbott,  the  chemist. 

"Abbott,  Abbott,"  repeated  Frank,  as  if  trying 
to  recall  the  man  to  mind;  ''I've  heard  that 
name   before.     Is   he   a   Northern   man?" 

"No;  he's  allers  lived  at  the  South.  His 
house  is  right  back  of  the  hotel,  third  door  from 
the  corner,  on  the  right-hand  side  as  you  go  up 
the  street." 

Frank  had  learned  something,  but  he  did  not 
think  it  safe  to  question  the  man  further,  for 
fear  of  exciting  his  suspicions;  so,  after  a  few^ 
unimportant  remarks,  he  turned  on  his  heel  and 
walked  into  the  hotel,  which  was  used  as  the 
army  head-quarters.  Here  he  remained  for  nearly 
half  an  hour,  to  give  the  man  of  whom  he  had 
received  his  information  time  to  leave  the  place, 
and  then  directed  his  steps  toward  Mr.  Abbott's 
dwelling.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  it, 
for  he  followed  the  butternut's  directions,  and 
the  rebel's  name  was  borne  on  the  door-plate. 
The  house,  however,  was  deserted;  the  blinds 
were  closed,  as  were  those  of  all  the  neighboring 


102       FRAXK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

houses.  Mr.  Abbott,  with  his  family,  if  he  had 
any,  had  doubtless  removed  out  of  reach  of  the 
Union  forces.  Did  he  ever  visit  his  home  when 
in  town?  or  did  he  make  his  head-quarters  some- 
where else?  were  questions  that  suggested  them- 
selves to  Frank,  but  which,  of  course,  he  could 
not  answer;  neither  did  he  dare  to  question 
any  of  the  citizens,  for  they  might  be  Mr.  Ab- 
bott's friends,  who  would  not  fail  to  inform 
him  that  particular  inquiries  were  being  made, 
which  would  lead  him  to  act  more  cautiously. 
Frank  did  not  know  what  plan  to  adopt,  but 
walked  listlessly  about  the  streets  until  he  heard 
the  Michigan's  bell  strike  half-past  three  o'clock. 
He  must  be  on  board  by  four,  as  the  admiral 
was  to  be  there  to  inspect  the  vessel.  He  was 
reluctant  to  leave  without  having  accomplished 
any  thing  more  than  the  discovery  of  the  rebel's 
dwelling;  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  he 
walked  slowly  toward  the  landing,  where  he 
found  a  boat  waiting  for  him. 

That  night,  although  he  retired  early,  he  slept 
but  little,  but  tossed  restlessly  about  in  his  bunk, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       103 

endeavoring  to  conjure  up  some  plan  by  which 
he  might  capture  the  rebel;  and  when  he  fell 
asleep,  he  dreamed  about  the  subject  upper- 
most in  his  mind.  He  thought  that,  after  sev- 
eral days'  patient  watching,  he  finally  discovered 
his  man;  but  all  attempts  to  capture  him  were 
unavailing.  When  he  pursued,  the  rebel  would 
disappear  in  a  magical  way,  that  was  perfectly 
bewildering.  Finally,  he  dreamed  that  the  rebel 
assumed  the  offensive,  and  one  day  he  met  him 
in  the  street,  carrying  in  his  hand  something 
that  looked  like  a  lump  of  coal,  which  he  threw 
at  Frank.  It  proved,  however,  to  be  a  torpedo, 
for  it  exploded  with  a  loud  report,  and  as  Frank 
sprang  over  a  fence  that  ran  close  by  the  side- 
walk, to  escape,  he  came  violently  in  contact 
with  the  walls  of  a  house.  At  this  stage  of  his 
dream  he  was  suddenly  awakened.  To  his  no 
small  amazement,  he  found  himself  stretched 
on  the  floor  of  his  room,  his  head  jammed  against 
the  door,  through  which  one  of  the  wardroom 
boys,  a  very  small  specimen  of  a  contraband, 
was  endeavoring   to  escape,   while   the   look   of 


104       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

terror  depicted  on  his  face,  and  the  energy  with 
which  he  strove  to  open  the  door,  showed  that 
]\{\  had  sustained  something  of  a  fright.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room  stood  the  doctor,  who 
gazed  at  Frank  for  a  moment  with  open  mouth 
and  eyes,  and  tlum  threw  himself  on  the  bed, 
convulsed  with  laughter. 

Frank  rose  slowly  to  his  feet,  and  commenced 
drawing  on  his  clothes,  while  the  little  negro 
disappeared   through  the  door  like  a  flash. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  doctor,  as  soon  as  he 
could  speak,  "you  can't  make  that  jump  again, 
sir.  I  came  in  to  awaken  you,"  he  continued, 
"and  was  just  going  to  put  my  hand  on  you, 
when  you  sprang  out  of  your  bunk  upon  your 
trimk,  and  then  back  again;  and  just  as  the 
darky  was  coming  in,  you  made  another  jump, 
and  landed  against  the  door,  frightening  him 
so  that  I  actually  believe  he  turned  pale.  Were 
you  dreaming?" 

"Yes,-'  answered  Frank,  with  a  laugh;  "I 
was  getting  out  of  the  way  of  a  torpedo." 

"Well,   3^ou    certainly   jumped   far   enough   to 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       105 

get  out  of  the  way  of  almost  any  thing,"  repHed 
the  doctor,  after  he  had  indulged  in  another 
hearty  fit  of  laughter.  "Hurry  up;  breakfast 
is  nearly  ready," 

Frank  felt  the  effects  of  his  agility  in  the  shape 
of  a  severe  pain  over  his  left  eye,  which  had  been 
occasioned  by  his  head  coming  in  contact  with 
the  door-knob,  and  his  "big  jump"  was  the  source 
of  a  good  deal  of  merriment  at  the  breakfast-table. 

Frank  went  ashore  in  the  ten-o'clock  boat,  and, 
after  strolling  about  with  his  companions  for  a 
short  time,  invented  a  satisfactory  excuse  for 
his  absence,  and  started  toward  Mr.  Abbott's 
house,  which,  to  his  joy,  he  found  open,  with 
a  negro  engaged  in  sweeping  the  steps. 

"Boy,  who  lives  here?"  he  inquired. 

The  negro  gave  the  desired  information,  adding: 
"He  ain't  hyar  though,  but  missus  will  be  homo 
dis  arternoon," 

"Where's  your  master?" 

"Oh,  he  done  gone  off  somewhar.  I  'spects 
he  don't  like  for  to  see  you  Yankee  sogers  hyar." 

As  the  negro  ceased  speaking,  having  finishetl 


106       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

his  work,  he  turned  and  went  into  the  house, 
while  Frank  was  about  to  move  away,  wondering 
what  was  the  next  thing  to  be  done,  when  a  boy 
approached  and   opened   the  gate. 

"What  do  you  want?"  asked  Frank. 

The  boy  held  up  a  letter  which  he  carried  in 
his  hand,  and  Frank,  seeing  that  it  was  addressed 
to  Mrs.  Abbott,  at  once  concluded  that  it  con- 
tained information  which  might  be  of  the  greatest 
value   to  him. 

"It  is  all  right,"  said  he;  "I'll  attend  to  it;" 
at  the  same  time  taking  the  note  and  handing 
some  money  to  the  boy,  who  dejmrted  well  satis- 
fied. Frank  then  walked  down  the  street,  and, 
as  soon  as  he  was  out  of  sight  of  the  house,  opened 
the  letter  and  read  as  follows: 

Heyward's  Plantation,  March  20,  1864. 
"Will  be  at  home  at  eight  o'clock  this  evening.     Have  my 
baggage  ready  to  start  for  Sh re veport  early  in  tlie  morning." 

No  name  was  signed  to  the  note,  but  Frank 
was  certain  that  he  now  had  the  matter  in  his 
own  hands,  and  that  any  preparations  Mrs.  Ab- 
bott might  make  for  her  husband's  journey  to 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       107 

Shreveport  would  only  be  thrown  away.  He  at 
once  directed  his  steps  toward  the  landing,  hailed 
his  vessel  for  a  boat,  and  when  he  had  arrived  on 
board  and  reported  to  the  captain,  showed  that 
gentleman  the  note,  at  the  same  time  requesting 
permission  to  remain  on  shore  after  dark,  in  order 
to  capture  the  rebel. 

"I  should  be  only  too  happy  to  allow  you  to 
do  so,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  "for  you 
seem  to  be  particidarly  fortunate  in  every  thing 
of  this  description  you  undertake.  But,  as  it  is 
the  admiral's  order  that  all  officers  repair  on 
board  their  vessels  at  sundown,  he  must  be  con- 
sulted in  regard  to  the  matter.  Orderly,  tell 
the  officer  of  the  deck  to  have  the  gig  called  away. 
We  will  go  up  to  the  flag-ship,"  he  continued, 
"and  talk  to  the  admiral." 

The  gig  was  soon  manned,  and  after  Frank 
had  buckled  on  his  sword  (for  all  ofiicers  visiting 
the  flag-ship  were  required  to  wear  their  sitle- 
arms),  ho  stepped  into  the  boat  with  the  captain, 
and  in  a  short  time  they  were  in  the  presence 
of   the  admiral.     The  captain,   in  a  few  words. 


lOB       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MJSSfSSIPFL 

explained  the  nature  of  the  visit,  showed  him 
the  note  Frank  had  intercepted,  and  ended  by 
repeatmg  the  young  officer's  request  that  he 
might  be  allowed  to  remain  on  shore  after  dark. 

"Certainly,"  rei^lied  the  aihniral,  "certainly. 
If  you  succeed,  young  man,  we  shall  have  one 
less  of  these  secret-service  fellows  to  fear."  Then, 
turning  to  one  of  his  clerks,  he  gave  him  an  order 
which  Frank  did  not  hear,  after  which  he  asked: 

"How  did  you  dis(;over  the  whereabouts  of 
the  man  Abbott,  Mr.  Nelson?" 

Frank  then  proceeded  to  give  the  admiral  an 
account  of  all  he  had  done,  how  he  had  seen  the 
rebel's  name  on  the  sign,  learned  his  residence, 
and  secured  the  note.  To  all  of  which  the  latter 
listened  with  attention. 

"I  hope  you  v;ill  succeed  in  capturing  him," 
said  he.  "If  you  do,  bring  him  here;  I  want  a 
look  at  him.  Here,"  he  continued,  as  his  clerk 
handed  him  a  letter,  "is  a  request  that  the  pro- 
vost-marshal will  furnish  you  with  a  pass.  Good 
luck  to  you,  young  man." 

Their  business  being  finished,   Frank  followed 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSIS.SIFPI.       109 

the  captain  out  of  the  cabin,  and  returned  on 
board  the  Michigan. 

All  that  afternoon  Frank  was  in  a  fever  of  ex- 
citement. He  was  impatient  for  the  night  to 
come,  that  he  might  know  whether  or  not  his 
attempt  was  to  be  crowned  with  success.  A 
hundred  things  might  happen  to  prevent  it. 
The  rebel  might  not  come  home,  or  the  note  might 
have  been  written  with  the  intention  of  having 
it  intercepted,  in  order  to  throw  the  one  into 
whose  hands  it  might  fall  on  the  wrong  scent; 
or  it  might  be  Avritten  in  cipher,  and  mean  di- 
rectly opposite  to  what  Frank  had  supposed. 
But  he  consoled  himself  with  the  thought  that 
he  had  done,  and  would  still  continue  to  do,  all 
in  his  power  to  obey  the  admiral's  general  order, 
and  if  he  failed,  the  blame  would  not  rest  with 
him. 

When  the  sundown  boat  was  called  away,  Frank, 
after  exchanging  his  uniform  for  a  citizen's  dress, 
and  his  cap  for  a  tattered  slouch-hat,  thrust 
a  revolver  into  his  pocket,  stepped  into  the  cut- 
ter,   and    was   soon    set    on    shore.     He    walked 


no       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

directly  to  the  office  of  the  provost-marshal,  which 
was  in  the  hotel,  and  finding  that  officer  at  his 
desk,  handed  him  the  admiral's  note,  which  ran 
as  follows: 


i 


"U.  S.  Flag-Ship  Blackhawk, 
"Off  Alexandria,  La.,  March  20,  1864. 

"Sir: — Please  furnish  the  bearer.  Acting  Ensign  Frank 
Nelson,  with  a  pass.  He  has  important  business  to  per- 
form, which  may  detain  him  on  shore  most  of  the  night, 
and  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  for  the  successful  accom- 
plishment of  his  mission,  that  he  should  not  be  interfered 
with.  Very  respectfully,  your  ob'd't  scrv't, 

David  I).  Porter,  Rear  Admiral, 

Com'd'g  Miss.  Squadron. 

U.  S.  Provost  Marshal, 

Alexandria,  La. 

"Your  business  must  be  important  indeed, 
judging  by  the  language  of  this  note,"  said  the 
marshal.    "You  shall  not  be  troubled." 

While  he  was  speaking  he  had  been  writing  an 
order  commanding  "all  guards  and  patrols  to 
allow  the  bearer  the  freedom  of  the  city,  as  he 
was  under  special  orders  from  the  admiral,  and 
must  not  be  detained." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       Ill 

"There,"  said  he,  after  he  had  finished  the 
pass  and  handed  it  to  Frank.  "That  will  take 
you  through  all  right.  You  have  my  best  wishes 
for  your  success." 

Frank  thanked  him,  and  putting  the  pass 
carefully  away  in  his  pocket,  walked  out  of  the 
hotel  fully  satisfied  on  one  point,  and  that  was, 
if  his  success  depended  upon  the  good  wishes  of 
his  friends,  failure  was  impossible.  lie  walked 
slowly  down  the  street  toward  the  place  where 
the  soldiers  were  encamped;  for  as  it  lacked 
fully  an  hour  and  a  half  of  the  appointed  time, 
he  did  not  wish  to  be  seen  loitering  about  the 
house,  as  it  might  excite  the  suspicions  of  its 
inmates, ,  who  would  not  fail  to  send  word  to 
Mr.  Abbott  that  the  house  was  being  watched. 
Time  moved  altogether  too  slowly  for  the  im- 
patient young  officer,  but  at  length  he  heard  the 
flag-ship's  bell  strike  half-past  seven,  and  as  it 
had  begun  to  grow  dark,  he  walked  toward  the 
house,  and  took  his  station  in  the  shadow  of 
some  trees  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 
At  the  end  of  an  hour  his  patience  was  rewarded, 


112       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

for  he  heard  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps, 
and  a  man  passed  by  the  house.  Frank  knew, 
from  the  suspicious  manner  in  which  he  gazed 
about,  that  if  it  was  not  the  man  for  whom  he 
was  waiting,  it  was  some  other  guilty  fellow 
who  ought  to  be  secured.  Presently  he  re- 
turned, and  after  again  looking  cautiously  about 
him,  ascended  the  steps  and  knocked  lightly  at 
the  door,  which  was  almost  instantly  opened, 
and  a  voice  exclaimed: 

"Massa  Abbott,   Fse  glad   to"— 

The  rest  of  the  sentence  Frank  did  not  hear, 
for  the  moment  the  man  entered  the  hall,  the 
door  was  closed  again.  Now  was  the  time  for 
Frank,  who  hastily  crossed  the  street,  q,nd  noise- 
lessly ascended  the  steps.  Here  he  paused  for 
a  moment  to  draw  his  revolver,  and  then  suddenly 
opened  the  door  and  sprang  into  the  hall.  He 
was  met  by  the  negro,  the  same,  no  doubt,  whom 
he  had  heard  welcoming  his  master,  who,  not 
liking  the  looks  of  the  huge  six-shooter  which 
the  officer  flourished  before  his  eyes,  beat  a  hasty 
retreat.     Frank  kept  on  and  entered  the  parlor, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       113 

where  he  found  his  man  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  floor,  pale  and  breathless.  No  one  else 
was  in  the  room. 

"Mr.  Abbott,"  said  Frank,  "you're  my  pris- 
oner!" 

The  man,  who  was  so  terrified  that  he  seemed 
to  have  lost  even  the  power  of  speech,  surren- 
dered his  weapons  and  submitted  to  his  captor, 
who  led  him  out  of  the  house  and  toward  the 
flag-ship,  which  they  reached  in  safety.  The 
admiral  received  Frank  with  great  cordiality, 
and  after  listening  to  his  account  of  the  mamicr 
in  which  the  capture  of  the  prisoner  had  been 
effected,  he  ordered  the  cutter  called  away,  and 
the  young  officer,  rejoicing  over  his  success,  was 
sent  on  board  his  vessel. 


114       FRANK  ON  THE  LOW  LB  MISSISSIPPL 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Frank's  first  command. 


The  next  morning,  just  after  quarters,  while 
the  officers  were  getting  ready  to  go  on  shore, 
a  boat  from  the  flag-ship  came  alongside,  and 
tlie  officer  in  charge  of  it  was  shown  into  tlie 
cabin,  as  he  said  he  had  business  with  the  captain. 
Frank,  who  thought  he  had  accomplished  suffi- 
cient to  satisfy  him  to  remain  on  board,  sat  in 
the  wardroom  reading,  when  the  orderly  entered 
and  informed  him  that  the  captain  desired  his 
presence  in  the  cabin. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he,  "here's  an  order  from 
the  admiral,  directing  me  to  furnish  you  with  a 
cutter  and  an  armed  crew,  and  to  send  you  to 
the  flag-ship  for  orders.  I  am  also  instructed 
to  appoint  an  executive  to  fill  your  place  during 
your  absence.    I  expect  you  will  be  sent  off  on 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       115 

some  expetlition;  so  you  had  better  prepare  for 
a  long  trip." 

The  officer  who  brought  the  order  having  re- 
turned to  his  vessel,  the  captain  accompanied 
Frank  on  deck,  and  ordered  the  second  cutter  to 
be  called  away  and  furnished  with  a  crew  well 
armed.  In  a  short  time  the  boat  was  ready,  and 
Frank,  buckling  on  his  side-arms,  took  leave  of 
the  captain  and  started  toward  the  flag-ship, 
wondering  what  duty  he  was  now  called  upon 
to  perform,  and  fully  determined  that  whatever 
orders  he  might  receive,  however  dangerous  or 
difficult,  should  be  excuted,  if  within  the  bounds 
of  possibility. 

When  he  arrived  on  board  the  Blackhawk,  an 
officer,  who  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  him, 
conducted  him  into  the  cabin,  where  the  admiral 
sat  writing  at  his  desk. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he;  "take 
a  chair,  sir." 

Frank  took  the  seat  pointed  out  to  him,  ajid 
the  admiral,  taking  from  his  desk  a  bundle  of 
papers,  carefully  tied  u[),  continued: 


116       FRANK  OX   Tilt:  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"It  has  always  been  luy  hal:)it,  Mr.  Nelson,  not 
to  let  a  brave  or  skilful  action  pass  unrewarded, 
any  more  than  I  would  allow  a  bad  one  to  pass 
unpunished.  I  am  now  about  to  give  you  a 
much  more  important,  and  perhaps  dangerous, 
commission  than  has  yet  been  intrusted  to  you. 
This  package  contains  official  documents  of  the 
greatest  importance,  and  I  want  you  to  go  down 
the  river,  and  deliver  it  to  the  commanding 
naval  officer,  w^hom  you  will  find  at  Acklen's 
plantation,  opposite  the  mouth  of  Red  River. 
I  know  there  are  rebels  all  along  the  banks, 
but  v\'hatever  you  do,  don't  allow  these  letters 
to  fall  into  their  hands.  There  are  iron  weights 
in  the  package,  and  if  you  should  be  in  danger 
of  capture,  throw  it  overboard.  You  will  take 
passage  on  the  army  transport  that  now  lies 
at  the  stern  of  this  vessel,  all  ready  to  start.  I 
send  the  cutter  and  armed  crew  with  you,  for 
tlie  reason  that  the  rebels  may  shik  the  transport, 
in  which  case  you  can  escape  in  your  boat;  for 
those  lettei's  must  go  through,  if  possible;  per- 
haps the  success  of  this  expedition  depends  upon 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       117 

them.  The  transport,  you  will  find,  is  in  com- 
mand of  a  second -lieutenant.  I  should  feel  much 
safer  if  I  could  put  one  of  my  own  officers  in 
charge,  but,  as  the  boat  belongs  to  the  army, 
I  have  no  authority  in  the  matter.  After  you 
have  executed  your  orders,  return,  by  first  op- 
portunity, to  your  vessel,  and  report  to  me  by 
letter.  Now,  sir,  you  may  go,  for  they  are  wait- 
ing for  you.  Remember,  I  say  the  success  or 
failure  of  this  entire  expedition  may  depend 
upon  you;  and  don't  forget  that  you  are  the 
young  man  that  saved  the  Milwaukee." 

Frank  bowled  himself  out  of  the  cabin,  sprang 
into  the  cutter,  and  started  toward  the  trans- 
port that  lay  alongside  of  the  bank,  a  short 
distance  below  the  flag-ship.  As  he  stepped  on 
board,  he  was  met  by  a  flashy-looking  young 
lieutenant,  dressed  in  a  brand-new  uniform,  who 
greeted  him  with  the  inquiry: 

"Are  you  ready  at  last?  I  have  been  waiting 
an  hour  for  yoa.  Business  is  business,  you  know, 
and  when  I  command  a  ship,  I  don't  like  to  be 
detained." 


lis       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  lieutenant  said  this,  probably,  to  impress 
upon  Frank's  mind  the  important  fact  that  he 
was  the  captain  of  the  steamer,  and  must  be 
respected  and  obeyed  accordingly.  Frank,  who 
know  that  he  was  not  subject  to  the  orders  of 
the  lieutenant  only  so  far  as  the  safety  of  the 
vessel  was  concerned,  replied  that  he  had  come 
as  soon  as  he  could  after  he  had  received  his 
orders,  and  turning  to  his  men,  directed  part 
of  them  to  make  the  cutter  fast  to  the  stern  of 
the  steamer,  and  the  others  to  carry  their  arms 
to  the  boiler-deck,  where  they  could  be  readily 
seized  in  case  of  emergency.  The  transport  was 
a  small  side  wheel  boat  belonging  to  the  quarter- 
master's department.  The  deck-hands  were  all 
soldiers — perhaps  half  a  dozen  of  them  in  all — 
the  only  steamboatmen  on  board  being  one  pilot, 
four  engineers,  and  as  many  firemen.  The  steamer 
was  armed  with  two  howitzers,  mounted  on  the 
boiler-deck,  and  the  muskets  of  the  soldiers  were 
stacked  in  the  cabin.  The  boilers  were  protected 
by  bales  of  cotton,  which  were  piled  on  the  guards, 
and   the   pilot -house  was  defended   in  the  same 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       119 

manner.  A  few  bales  were  also  placed  on  the 
boiler-deck  to  serve  as  a  breastwork.  The  whole 
was  under  the  command  of  the  lieutenant,  who, 
judging  by  the  orders  he  issued,  knew  nothing 
whatever  of  the  management  of  a  boat. 

Frank  had  been  on  board  but  a  few  moments, 
when  the  engineer's  bell  rang,  to  inform  the  pilot 
that  all  was  ready  for  the  start.  The  boat  was 
made  fast  by  a  single  line,  which  i-an  from  the 
forecastle  to  a  tree  on  the  bank,  and  the  gang- 
plank was  out.  The  lieutenant's  first  order  was, 
"Haul  in  that  plank."  The  soldiers  obeyed, 
and  then  came  the  command  for  "somebody 
to  i"un  out  there  and  untie  that  line." 

One  of  the  soldiers  sprang  ashore  and  began 
trying  to  cast  off  the  line,  which  was  drawn  as 
taut  as  a  four-mile  current  could  make  it.  He 
worked  for  several  moments,  but,  of  course  with- 
out success  (for  the  line  should  first  have  been 
slackened  up  on  board),  and  then  called  oat: 

"Loosen  up  that  other  end,  there!" 

"No,  no!"  replied  the  lieutenant,  "that  would 
allow  the  boat   to  swing  away  from  the  bank, 


120       FRANK  ON   THE  LOWER  .]fISSIS.SlPPI. 

and  then  how  would  you  get  on  board?  It  must 
be  untied  from  that  tree  first." 

What  difference  it  could  possibly  make  in  re- 
gard to  the  boat's  swinging  away  from  the  bank, 
whetlic-r  the  line  was  first  slackened  up  on  shore 
or  on  board,  Frank  could  not  determine. 

He  was  astonished  at  the  lieutenant's  ignorance, 
and  amused  at  his  novel  mode  of  casting  off  a 
hne,  while  the  sailors,  who  had  gathered  in  a 
group  on  the  forecastle,  watched  the  operation 
with  a  smile,  wondering  how  the  affair  woukl 
end,  as  they  knew  that  the  line  could  not  be 
"untied"  from  the  tree  unless  first  slackened 
up  on  board.  But  the  lieutenant  seemed  to  have 
his  own  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  it  ought 
to  be  accomplished,  and  was  constantly  order- 
ing the  man  to  "Hurry  up,  there!"  The  soldiers 
worked  and  pulled,  but  all  to  no  purpose,  and 
the  lieutenant,  becoming  impatient,  ordered  two 
more  of  the  men  to  his  assistance.  But  the 
knot,  which  had  been  awkwardly  made,  was 
jammed,  and  resisted  their  utmost  efforts. 

"I  never  did  see  such  a  clumsy  set  of  fellows," 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       121 

said  the  lieutenant,  at  length,  turning  to  Frank, 
who  stood  beside  him,  making  use  of  his  hand- 
kerchief to  conceal  his  laughter.  "We  ought  to 
have  been  two  miles  down  the  river  by  this  time." 

It  was  evident  that  he  was  fast  becoming  dis- 
gusted with  his  first  attempt  at  "steamboating," 
but  was  too  proud  to  ask  advice.  At  length 
he  turned  and  walked  into  the  cabin,  muttering, 
"I  guess  they  will  get  it  untied  before  night." 
But  Frank  was  unwilling  to  wait  so  long.  The 
delay  was  entirely  unnecessary,  and  he  had  be- 
gun to  get  impatient. 

"Men,"  said  he,  addressing  himself  to  the  cut- 
ter's crew,  who  were  convulsed  with  laughter, 
"some  of  you  run  out  that  gang-plank,  and 
another  slack  up  that  line." 

These  orders  wore  promptly  obeyed,  and  the 
difficulty  was  easily  overcome. 

"All  gone,  sir,"  shouted  Frank  to  the  pilot, 
meaning  that  the  line  was  cast  off,  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  transport  swimg  off  from  the  bank, 
and  was  plowing  her  way  down  the  river.  Frank 
leaned    over   the   railing,   and   wondered   how   a 


122       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

man  so  utterly  ignorant  of  the  management  of 
a  steamer,  as  was  the  heutenant,  came  to  be  put 
in  command,  and  at  a  time,  too,  when  they  might 
be  placed  in  situations  that  would  call  into 
requisition  all  the  skill  and  judgment  of  experi- 
enced men.  He  did  not  at  all  like  the  appearance 
of  the  young  commander,  for  he  was  of  the  type 
of  officers  known  as  "upstarts,"  who  like  to 
show  their  authority,  but  are  without  the  ability 
to  successfully  fill  even  the  post  of  corporal. 
What  if  the  transport  should  be  fired  upon  and 
disabled?  It  was  evident  that  in  such  an  emer- 
gency nothing  could  be  expected  of  a  man  who 
could  not  cast  off  a  line.  Frank's  commission 
was  too  important  to  be  intrusted  to  the  care 
of  such  a  man,  and  the  young  officer  felt  that 
he  would  much  rather  step  into  the  cutter,  and 
trust  to  the  skill  and  courage  of  his  twelve  sailors, 
than  to  remain  on  board  the  transport.  Call- 
ing the  coxswain  on  deck,  he  directed  that  if 
they  were  attacked,  the  cutter  should  be  kept 
ready  for  instant  use,  and  in  case  the  vessel  was 
disabled,    they    wouUl    attempt    to    finish    their 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       123 

journey  in  her.  After  giving  these  orders,  Frank 
went  up  into  the  pilot-house,  where  he  found 
the  man  at  the  wheel  in  no  enviable  state  of 
mind. 

"I'm  glad  to  see  you,"  said  he,  as  Frank  en- 
tered, "for  I  want  to  talk  to  you.  I'm  not  at 
all  pleased  with  the  looks  of  our  skipper,"  he 
went  on  to  say,  "and  how  he  came  to  be  placed 
in  command  is  a  mystery  to  me.  Perhaps  the 
quarter-master  thinks,  like  a  good  many  men 
who  see  the  Mississippi  River  for  the  first  time, 
that  any  body  can  take  charge  of  a  steamboat; 
but  suppose  we  should  mn  aground — what  does 
that  lieutenant  know  about  sparring  off?  or  what 
if  something  about  the  engine  should  let  down? 
why,  we  might  go  forty  miles  down  the  river 
before  he  could  get  us  tied  up  to  the  bank.  Be- 
sides, if  we  are  fired  upon,  he'll  surrender.  Now, 
mark  my  words,  he'll  surrender  before  he  will 
fight,  and  I'm  opposed  to  that,  for  I  was  a  prisoner 
once." 

"So  was  I,"  said  Frank,  "and  I  don't  mean  to 
fall  into  the  rebels'  hands  again,  if  I  can  help 


124       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

it.  I'll  never  be  surrendered.  That  lieutenant 
may  not  fight,  but  I  think  his  men  will,  and  I 
have  twelve  good  fellows,  all  well  armed,  on 
whom  I  know  I  can  depend." 

''Then  I  feel  better,"  said  the  pilot.  ''That's 
talk  I  like  to  hear;  for  if  we  are  not  disabled, 
we'll  go  through  all  right.  There  goes  the  bell! 
Go  down  and  get  j'our  dinner." 

Frank  deposited  his  weapons  on  a  bench  in 
the  pilot-house  and  ran  down  into  the  cabin, 
where  he  found  the  lieutenant  and  two  engineers 
seated  at  the  table.  The  former  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  his  failure  of  the  morning,  for  he  talked 
a  good  deal  in  a  condescending  manner,  as  if 
addressing  his  inferiors;  and  to  Frank's  inquiry 
if  he  expected  trouble  from  the  rebels,  replied 
that  he  had  not  given  the  matter  a  moment's 
thought;  that  if  they  did  attack  the  vessel,  it 
would  not  be  the  first  time  he  had  smelt  powder, 
and  if  the  engineers  and  pilot  could  be  depended 
upon,  he  had  no  fears  but  that  he  should  be  able 
to  take  the  boat  safely  through.  Frank  replied 
that  he  trusted  the  officers  would  not  be  found 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       125 

wanting  in  courage;  and  when  he  had  finished 
his  meal,  he  went  on  deck  again,  and  surprised 
the  pilot,  by  offering  to  relieve  him  while  he 
went  down  to  his  dinner.  In  his  spare  moments 
Frank,  who  wisely  regarded  it  as  the  duty  of 
every  officer  to  acquaint  himself  with  every  part 
of  the  management  of  a  vessel,  had  learned  to 
handle  the  wheel,  and  he  was  an  excellent  steers- 
man. He  could  make  a  landing  or  get  a  boat 
under  way,  as  well  as  the  most  experienced  pilot; 
and  in  the  present  instance  he  was  fully  capable 
of  steering  the  boat,  for  as  the  water  in  the  river 
was  high,  there  was  no  danger  of  getting  out  of 
the  channel. 

The  pilot  gave  him  his  place,  and  after  watch- 
ing the  movements  of  the  young  officer,  who 
handled  the  wheel  with  all  the  confidence  of  an 
old  river  man,  he  went  below  to  his  dinner,  satis- 
fied that  he  had  left  the  boat  in  safe  hands.  Frank 
remained  at  the  wheel  most  of  the  afternoon, 
for  the  pilot,  who  would  be  on  watch  all  night, 
had  gone  to  bed  to  obtain  a  few  hours'  rest. 
About  four  o'clock,  however,  he  made  his  appear- 


126       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

ance,  and  Frank  went  down  into  the  cabin,  and 
was  engaged  in  reading  a  newspaper,  when  he 
heard  the  pilot  shout  through  the  trumpet  to  the 
engineers : 

"Here  they  are!  Now,  push  her  ahead  strong. 
There's  a  battery  just  below." 

At  the  same  moment  there  was  a  rush  of  feet 
on  deck,  and  the  lieutenant  entered  the  cabin 
pale  and  breathless. 

"We're  captured,"  said  he,  in  a  faint  voice. 
"We're  surroimdcd.  The  bank  is  black  with 
rebels — ten  thousand  of  them  at  least!  It's  no 
use  to  think  of  fighting." 

As  he  ceased  speaking,  he  ran  on  deck  again, 
followed  by  Frank,  who  found  his  men  drawn  up 
behind  the  cotton-bales,  with  their  weapons  in 
their  hands,  waiting  for  orders.  The  soldiers 
had  cast  loose  the  howitzers,  and  stood  at  their 
posts.  The  lieutenant  stopped  a  moment,  just 
long  enough  to  say,  "Boys,  we're  all  captured!" 
and  then  ran  into  the  pilot-house.  As  Frank 
stood  talking  to  his  men,  and  encouraging  them 
with  the  famous  words  that  never  fail  to  nerve 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       127 

an  American  seaman — "Don't  give  up  the  ship!" 
— a  rebel  rode  out  on  the  bank,  in  full  view  of 
the  steamer,  and  shouted : 
"Come  ashore  here,  or  we'll  sink  you." 
Frank  looked  toward  the  pilot-house,  where  the 
lieutenant  had  taken  refuge,  and  waited  to  hear 
his  answer.  To  his  surprise  and  horror,  he  saw 
a  hand  extended  waving  a  white  handkerchief, 
and  the  coxswain  exclaimed: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  he's  surrendering  us,  sir!" 
With  one  bound  Frank  sprang  up  the  steps 
that  led  to  the  pilot-house,  caught  the  hanrl- 
kerchief  and  threw  it  overboard;  and  at  the 
same  moment  the  lieutenant  was  seized  from 
behind  and  thrown  to  the  deck.  He  instantly 
recovered  his  feet,  and  turning  fiercely  upon 
Frank  and  the  pilot,  exclaimed: 

"What  are  you  about?  Do  you  know  that 
you  have  rendered  yourselves  liable  to  a  court- 
martial?  I'm  commander  of  this  vessel,  and 
I'll  shoot  the  first  man  that  resists  my  authority!" 
"You  shall  never  surrender  us,"  said  Frank, 
firmly,  not  the  least  intimidated  by  the  other's 


128       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

threat.  "If  you  will  give  orders  for  your  men  to 
prepare  for  action,  no  one  will  oppose  you.  We'll 
stick  to  you  as  long  as  a  plank  of  this  vessel 
remains  above  water." 

''I  know  my  own  business,"  replied  the  lieu- 
tenant. "Resistance  is  useless.  We  never  could 
get  by  that  battery,  and  I'm  going  to  surrender 
to  save  our  lives.  Turn  her  toward  the  shore, 
pilot!" 

As  he  spoke,  he  walked  out  on  deck,  and  call- 
ing out  to  the  rebel,  who  had  continued  to  fol- 
low the  vessel: 

"I'll  surrender!  .Pilot,  I  tell  you  to  turn  her 
in  toward  the  shore." 

The  pilot  gave  a  glance  at  Frank,  and  reading 
in  his  face  a  firm  determination  to  go  through 
if  possible,  held  the  boat's  head  down  the  stream, 
whilt^  a  nmrmur  of  indignation  arose  from  the 
men  on  the  lower  deck,  and  the  coxswain  said, 
turning  to  his  companions: 

"Sink  my  tarry  wig,  if  that  ar'  chap  ain't 
going  to  give  us  up  without  our  having  the  least 
bit  of  a  fight." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       129 

Frank  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute.  Ought 
he  to  oppose  the  Heutenant,  the  lawiul  comman- 
der of  the  vessel?  Was  it  his  duty  to  stand 
by  and  allow  himself  and  his  men  to  be  surren- 
dered without  even  a  show  of  resistance?  And 
his  dispatches,  the  importance  of  which  the  ad- 
miral had  stated  in  such  emphatic  language, 
should  he  throw  them  overboard,  instead  of 
delivering  them,  as  he  ha<^l  hoped  to  do,  to  the 
officer  to  whom  they  were  addressed?  No! 
Sooner  than  do  that,  he  would  put  the  cowardly 
lieutenant  under  arrest,  and  give  the  conunand 
to  the  pilot,  a  man  whom  he  knew  understood 
his  business,  and  would  not  think  of  surrender 
until  it  had  been  clearly  proved  that  successful 
resistance  was  entirely  out  of  the  question. 

While  these  thoughts  were  passing  througli 
Frank's  mind,  the  boat,  under  an  increased  head 
of  steam,  had  been  rapidly  nearing  the  battery, 
which  could  be  distinctly  seen  about  half  a  mile 
below,  planted  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 

"Come  ashore,  if  you  surrender,"  shouted  the 
rebel. 


130       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Pilot,"  said  the  lieutenant,  in  a  weak  voice, 
"I  order  you" — 

He  never  finished  that  order,  for  Frank  seized 
him,  and  pulling  him  into  the  pilot-house,  closed 
the  door.  He  made  an  attempt  to  draw  a  re- 
volver, but  the  pilot  threw  him  to  the  deck, 
when  Frank  wrested  the  weapon  from  him  and 
retained  it  in  his  possession. 

''All  ready  forward  there?"  he  shouted  to  the 
men  on  the  boiler-deck. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  coxswain.  "Mr. 
Nelson's  in  command,"  he  added,  turning  to  his 
companions.  "Douse  my  to'-gallant  top-lights 
but  we'll  have  a  skirmish  now  sure." 

"Do  you  surrender?"  shouted  the  man  on 
the  bank. 

The  reply  he  received  was  a  shot  from  the 
pilot's  revolver,  which  made  him  beat  a  hasty 
retreat.  He  had  scarcely  disappeared  when  a 
cloud  of  men  arose  from  behind  the  levee,  and 
a  volley  of  bullets  rattled  into  the  boat.  It 
was  answered  by  a  shout  of  defiance  from  the 
men  behind  the  cotton-bales;  but  the  pilot,  who 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       131 

stood  just  in  front  of  Frank,  staggered  for  a 
moment,  and  sank  heavily  to  the  deck,  Frank 
was  horrified.  With  that  man  at  the  wheel,  he 
had  entertained  no  fears  of  their  ability  to  run 
by  the  battery;  but  now  that  he  was  left  alone, 
with  the  duties  of  both  commander  and  pilot 
devolving  upon  him,  his  hopes  fell  again.  But 
he  could  not  remain  long  inactive,  for  the  boat, 
being  without  a  guide,  began  to  swing  toward 
the  shore.  Hastily  seizing  the  wheel,  he  turned 
her  head  down  the  river  again,  when  the  battery 
opened  upon  them,  and  a  storm  of  shells  plunged 
into  the  water  and  whistled  through  the  air 
about  the  boat.  Only  one  struck  her,  and  that 
passed  through  one  of  the  smoke-stacks,  and 
bursting,  demolished  part  of  the  roof  of  the  pilot- 
house. Then,  as  fast  as  the  guns  could  be  loaded, 
the  battery  played  upon  the  transport,  and  Frank 
heard  the  shells  crashing  through  the  cabin  and 
exploding  in  the  air  above  him.  But  he  stood 
bravely  at  his  post,  his  only  fears  being  of  his 
inability  to  turn  the  point  on  which  the  battery 
was   planted,   or   that   one   of   the   shells  might 


132       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

penetrate  the  cotton-bales  ami  strike  the  boilers 
or  some  part  of  the  machinery.  But  as  he  neared 
the  battery,  he  discovered  that  the  boat  was 
struck  less  frequently;  that  the  rebels,  in  their 
excitement,  were  firing  wildly.  His  own  men, 
cool  and  collected,  encouraged  by  the  example 
of  their  officer,  had  not  yet  fired  a  shot;  but  when 
the  boat  arrived  opposite  the  battery,  they  opened 
upon  it  with  the  howitzers  and  small  arms  with 
terrible  effect.  The  point,  which  extended  into 
the  bend  where  the  battery  stood,  was  long  and 
sharp,  a  bad  place  for  one  unaccustomed  to  hand- 
ling a  boat;  but  Frank  passed  it  in  safety,  imder 
a  full  head  of  steam,  and  cheers  of  triumph  arose 
from  his  men,  which  the  rebels  answered  with 
yells  of  rage,  and  continued  to  follow  the  trans- 
port, sending  bullets  and  shells  after  her  as  fast 
as  they  could  reload.  But  they  were  speedily 
left  behind,  and  their  yells  died  away  in  the 
distance. 

Frank's  dispatches  were  safe. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       133 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN    UNLUCKY   FIGHT. 

As  soon  as  Frank  was  certain  that  the  rebels 
had  given  up  the  pursuit,  he  called  two  of  his 
men  on  deck,  and  directed  them  to  carry  the 
pilot,  who  now  began  to  show  signs  of  returning 
consciousness,  into  the  cabin. 

During  the  fight  the  lieutenant  had  remained 
behind  one  of  the  cotton-bales,  where  the  pilot 
had  thi'owTi  him,  so  completely  overcome  with 
fear  that  he  did  not  think  of  renewing  his  attempts 
to  enforce  his  authority.  But  now  that  the 
danger  was  over,  he  arose  to  his  feet  and  walked 
out  of  the  pilot-house.  As  the  sailors  came  up, 
in  obedience  to  Frank's  order,  they  passed  the 
lieutenant  without  giving  the  customary  salute, 
and  acted  as  though  they  considered  him  be- 
neath their  notice.  They  lifted  the  pilot  ten- 
derly in  their  arms,  carried  him  down  stairs, 
and  laid  him  on  his  bed. 


134       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

There  was  no  surgeon  on  board,  and  Frank 
was  anxious  to  reach  a  gunboat  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, in  order  to  place  the  pilot,  who  was  the  only 
one  injured,  under  the  care  of  a  medical  man. 
He  kept  his  place  at  the  wheel,  his  supper  being 
brought  up  to  him  by  one  of  his  men,  and  shortly 
after  dark  came  within  sight  of  the  lights  of  a 
vessel  which  was  lying  at  anchor  in  the  stream. 
He  blew  the  whistle,  to  let  her  know  that  he  was 
approaching,  to  which  the  steamer,  which  proved 
to  be  a  gunboat,  replied  by  hoisting  her  signal- 
lights.  Frank  having  no  signals,  whistled  again, 
and  rang  the  bells  for  the  engineer  to  run  slowly. 
As  soon  as  he  came  within  hailing  distance,  a 
voice  called  out: 

"Steamer  ahoy!" 

"Ay,  ay,  sir!"  shouted  Frank,  in  reply. 

"W^iat  steamer  is  that?" 

"Army  transport  Key-AVest,  bound  for  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  with  dispatches  from  the 
admiral." 

"Come  alongside,  here,"  shouted  the  voice. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  Frank,  and  he  conmienced 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       135 

turning  the  boat's  head  toward  the  vessel,  while  a 
hurrying  of  feet  and  a  noise  of  dropping  hand- 
spikes on  the  gun-deck,  told  him  in  plain  language 
that  the  captain  of  the  gunboat  was  not  at  all 
satisfied  with  the  report  he  had  made,  and  had 
called  his  crew  to  quarters,  to  be  in  readiness  to 
'sink  the  transport  if  she  should  attempt  to  run 
by.  It  was  an  uncommon  thing  during  the  ex- 
pedition for  boats  to  run  in  Red  River  after 
night,  unless  supplied  with  the  necessary  sig- 
nals, and  the  young  officer  was  not  at  all  surprised 
at  the  precautions  taken  by  the  gimboat. 

Frank  by  this  time  had  turned  the  transport 
around,  and  was  coming  up  at  the  stern  of  the 
gunboat,  when  the  lieutenant  came  on  deck, 
and  entering  the  pilot-house,  inquired: 

"Are  you  the  captain  of  this  ship?" 

"I  have  had  no  orders  to  act  as  such,"  replied 
Frank. 

"Then  why  do  you  answer  hails,  and  land 
here  without  my  permission?  I'll  have  you 
court-martialed." 

"I  answered  the  hails  because  you  were  not 


136       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

on  deck;  and  I  land  here  because  I  have  been 
ordered  to  do  so  by  the  captain  of  that  gun- 
boat." 

"Well,  I  am  not  under  his  orders;  he  has  no 
authority  over  me,  and  I  order  you  to  turn  around 
at  once,  and  start  down  the  river  again." 

"If  I  should  imdertake  that,"  replied  Frank, 
with  a  laugh,  "this  vessel  wouldn't  last  long. 
Every  cannon  on  this  side  of  that  gunboat  points 
straight  at  us,  and  if  we  should  turn  around, 
they  would  blow  us  out  of  water." 

"They  would,  eh?"  said  the  lieutenant,  angrily. 
"I'll  have  the  whole  lot  of  them  up  before  a 
court-martial.  I'm  a  second-lieutenant,  sir,  and 
must  not  be  detained,  as  I  am  on  important 
business.    Turn  around  at  once." 

Frank  made  no  reply,  and  at  that  moment 
the  bow  of  the  transport  touched  the  gunboat, 
and  one  of  the  sailors  sprang  out  with  a  line. 
As  soon  as  the  boat  was  made  fast,  he  put  on 
his  side-arms,  and  taking  his  dispatches,  walked 
out  of  the  pilot-house,  leaving  the  lieutenant 
almost   beside   himseK   with   rage.    As   soon   as 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       137 

he  stepped  on  board  the  gunboat,  he  was  shown 
into  the  presence  of  Captain  Wilson,  the  same 
who  had  commanded  the  Ticonderoga  when  Frank 
was  attached  to  her. 

"Oh,  is  it  you,  Mr.  Nelson?"  he  exclaimed, 
seizing  the  young  officer's  hand  and  shaking  it 
heartily.  "Then  it's  all  right.  I  did  not  know 
but  you  were  a  rebel,  and  were  going  to  run  by; 
so  I  got  my  guns  all  ready  to  sink  you.  Sit 
down.     Are  you  in  command?" 

Frank  replied  that  he  was  not,  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  repeat  the  orders  he  had  received  from 
the  admiral,  telling  the  captain  of  the  fight  with 
the  battery,  but  carefully  omitting  any  thing 
that  related  to  the  conduct  of  the  lieutenant. 
He  ended  by  saying  that  the  pilot  was  wounded, 
and  requesting  that  the  doctor  might  be  sent 
on  board  to  attend  to  him,  which  was  done  at 
once,  the  captain  offering  to  send  another  pilot 
to  take  his  place. 

The  transport  lay  alongside  nearly  two  hours, 
during  which  time  the  pilot's  wound,  which  was 
not  dangerous,   was  dressed.    The  doctor  then 


138       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

declared  that  he  was  able  to  go  on  to  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  where  he  could  be  placed  under  the 
care  of  an  army  surgeon.  Frank  then  took  his 
leave  of  the  captain,  and  stepped  on  board  the 
transport,  accompanied  by  one  of  the  gunboat 
pilots,  who  was  well-known  to  the  young  officer, 
and  he  was  confident  that  the  lieutenant,  if  he 
should  again  take  it  into  his  head  to  give  any 
unnecessary  orders,  would  hear  the  truth  plainly 
told.  He  was  an  old  acquaintance  of  the  wounded 
pilot,  from  whom  he  had  heard  the  whole  history 
of  the  trip  from  Alexandria;  but  as  he  had  said 
nothing  about  the  matter  to  Frank,  the  latter 
was  not  aware  that  he  knew  it. 

The  pilot  took  his  station  at  the  wheel,  while 
Frank  seated  himself  on  the  boiler-deck  railing. 
The  lieutenant  stood  close  by,  and,  without 
waiting  to  hear  whether  or  not  the  engineers 
were  ready  to  start,  shouted: 

"Untie  that  line." 

"Hold  on!"  shouted  the  pilot.  "Do  you  want 
to  send  us  adrift  without  any  steam?  Wait  till 
I  tell  you  we're  all  ready." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       139 

The  engineers  of  the  transport,  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  landing,  had  allowed  the  steam  to 
go  down,  in  order  to  repair  some  part  of  the 
machinery  that  was  out  of  order,  and  had  the 
line  been  cast  off  just  then,  the  boat  would  have 
been  at  the  mercy  of  the  current,  and  in  danger 
of  sinking,  for  a  short  distance  below  lay  an 
iron-clad  ram,  anchored  in  the  river.  The  lieu- 
tenant had  given  his  command  in  a  loud  tone, 
in  order  to  be  heard  by  the  crew  of  the  gunboat, 
and  the  rebuff  he  had  met  from  the  pilot  did 
not  tend  to  quiet  his  feelings,  which  were  con- 
siderably agitated  by  the  thought  that  he  was 
not  in  reality  the  commander  of  the  vessel.  He 
was  astonished  at  the  pertinacity  with  which 
his  subordinates  (as  he  considered  them)  counter- 
manded his  orders,  and  wondered  what  was  the 
use  of  being  captain  of  a  vessel  if  he  was  not 
to  be  obeyed.  But  perhaps  the  new  pilot  did 
not  know  who  he  was.  He  would  inform  him. 
With  this  determination,  he  walked  up  to  the 
pilot-house,  and  inquired: 

"Do  you  know,  sir,  that  I  command  this  boat?" 


140       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  pilot,  "I  know  all  about 
that.  But  you  had  better  go  and  turn  in;  you 
are  only  in  the  way  here.  All  ready,  Mr.  Nelson," 
he  continued,  as  the  engineer's  bell  rang  at  this 
moment. 

Frank  gave  the  necessary  orders,  and  in  a  few 
moments  they  were  again  on  their  way  down 
the  river,  while  the  lieutenant  walked  into  the 
cabin  and  thi-ew  himself  on  a  lounge,  heartily 
wishing  there  were  no  gunboat  men  in  existence. 
As  soon  as  they  were  fairly  under  way,  Frank, 
seeing  that  the  lieutenant  took  no  further  notice 
of  what  was  going  on,  ran  below  to  set  the  watch; 
then,  after  satisfying  himself  that  every  thing 
was  right  about  decks,  and  that  their  weapons 
were  ready  for  instant  use,  he  stretched  himself 
on  a  blanket  in  the  cabin,  and  with  his  precious 
dispatches  (which  he  had  carried  with  him  wher- 
ever he  went)  for  a  pillow,  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

About  midnight  he  was  suddenly  awakened 
by  a  terrific  crash,  and  sprang  to  his  feet  to  find 
the  cabin  shrouded  in  darkness  and  filled  with 
smoke.    Hastily  thrusting  his  dispatches  into  his 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       141 

pocket,  he  commenced  groping  for  his  side-arms, 
which,  on  retiring,  he  had  placed  by  his  side, 
while  a  commotion  on  deck  told  him  that  the 
crew  were  hurrying  to  their  stations.  When  he 
had  found  his  sword,  he  ran  out  of  the  cabin, 
and  saw  his  men  drawn  up  behind  the  cotton- 
bales,  under  charge  of  the  coxswain,  who  ran 
up  to  his  officer  and  hurriedly  asked  for  orders. 
The  latter  did  not  long  remain  ignorant  of  the 
nature  of  the  attack,  for  a  shell  plunged  into 
the  cabin  which  he  had  just  left,  and,  exploding 
with  a  deafening  report,  filled  the  air  with  frag- 
ments of  furniture,  and  tore  a  large  hole  in  the 
deck  above  the  boilers.  The  night  was  very 
dark,  but  still  there  was  light  enough  for  Frank 
to  see  that  the  boat,  no  longer  obeying  her  helm, 
was  drifting  broadside  toward  the  battery,  the 
position  of  which  could  be  easily  determined 
by  the  flash  of  its  guns;  and  it  was  evident  that 
unless  those  guns  could  be  speedily  silenced,  the 
transport  would  be  altogether  demolished,  or 
disabled  so  that  she  would  fall  into  the  hands 


142       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

of  the  rebels.  Turning  to  the  coxswain,  Frank 
inquired : 

''Is  that  cutter  ready  for  immediate  use?" 

"All  ready,  sir,"  was  the  answer. 

''Let  loose  those  guns,  then.     Fire!" 

The  two  howitzers  belched  forth  their  con- 
tents, but  while  they  were  being  reloaded,  an- 
other broadside  from  the  battery  plunged  into 
the  boat,  followed  by  the  hissing  and  shrieking 
of  steam.  A  shot  had  struck  the  boilers!  The 
thought  had  scarcely  passed  through  Frank's 
mind,  when  the  pilot  sprang  down  the  steps, 
exclaiming : 

"Mr.  Nelson,  the  tiller-rope  is  shot  away,  sir, 
and  the  boat  is  on  fu-e!" 

In  short,  much  sooner  than  Frank  had  expected, 
the  transport  was  a  complete  wreck. 

The  cotton-bales  on  the  guards  had  been  set 
on  fire  by  a  bursting  shell;  the  tiller-rope  shot 
away,  rendering  it  impossible  to  steer  the  boat; 
the  boilers  penetrated,  and  the  engine-room  filled 
with  hot  steam,  which  now  began  to  rise  and 
envelop   the   men   on   the   boiler-deck.     Soldiers 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       143 

and  sailors  at  once  deserted  their  quarters  and 
ran  about  in  confusion,  while  Frank,  with  his  hand- 
kerchief in  his  mouth,  to  prevent  his  inhaling 
the  steam,  stood  wondering,  where  so  many 
things  were  to  be  done,  which  ought  to  be  done 
first.  He  was  quickly  called  to  action  by  the 
pilot,  who,  as  he  ran  down  the  steps  that  led 
to  the  forecastle,  exclaimed: 
"Let  every  man  take  care  of  himself!" 
When  that  man,  who  had  been  in  nearly  all 
the  battles  fought  on  the  Mississippi  River — 
who  had  run  the  batteries  at  Vicksburg,  and 
had  twice,  in  the  heat  of  action,  swam  from  a 
sinking  vessel — when  he  deserted  his  post,  it 
was  useless  for  any  one  to  remain.  The  trans- 
port could  be  of  no  further  use  to  them,  and 
to  stay  on  board  was  to  court  either  death  from 
the  hot,  blinding  steam,  or  the  shells  that  all 
the  while  came  crashing  into  the  boat,  or  capture 
and  hard  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the  rebels. 
So  thought  Frank,  as  he  followed  his  men  to 
the  forecastle,  intending  to  enter  the  cutter,  and, 
if  possible,  run  by  the  battery  and  reach  the 
Mississippi. 


Ii4         FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  steam  rolled  over  the  lower  deck  in  thick 
clouds,  rendering  it  impossible  for  him  to  go  aft. 
There  was  now  but  one  way  to  reach  the  cutter, 
and  that  was  to  jump  overboard  and  swim  to 
her.  This  order  was  promptly  given,  and  as 
promptly  obeyed  by  the  men,  who  sprang  into 
the  water,  one  after  another,  followed  by  Frank, 
who,  however,  had  lingered  a  moment  to  pull 
off  his  side-arms  and  coat,  which  would  only 
impede  his  progress,  and  to  secure  his  dispatches, 
which  he  tied  to  his  waist  with  a  strong  cord 
he  happened  to  have  in  his  pocket. 

But  when  he  reached  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
he  found  that  this  means  of  escape  had  been 
destroyed.  A  shell  from  the  battery  had  struck 
the  cutter,  and  her  wreck,  still  held  by  the  rope 
with  which  she  had  been  made  fast,  floated  along 
with  the  steamer,  which  was  slowly  drifting 
toward  the  bank.  Only  one  of  his  men  was  to 
be  seen,  and  that  was  the  coxswain,  who  was 
holding  on  to  the  wreck,  awaiting  the  appearance 
of  his  officer.  The  others,  giving  up  all  hopes 
of  escape,  had  doubtless  turned  toward  the  shore. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       Ud 

"Now,  here's  a  job,  sir,"  said  the  coxswain, 
apparently  as  unconcerned  as  if  there  had  not 
been  a  rebel  within  a  hundred  miles.  "Here 
is  a  job.    What's  to  be  done  now,  sir?" 

Frank  had  just  asked  himself  the  same  question. 
He  could  easily  reach  the  shore,  which  was  but 
a  few  yards  distant,  but  there  he  would  certainly 
be  captured  by  the  rebels,  who  were  running 
along  the  bank,  yelling  like  demons. 

There  was  but  one  course  he  could  pursue 
and  save  himseK  and  dispatches,  and  that  was 
to  swim  down  the  river  and  endeavor  to  pass 
the  battery.  In  the  darkness  he  might  escape 
imdiscovered. 

"Bob,  are  you  a  good  swimmer?"  he  asked, 
turning  to  the  coxswain. 

"Yes,  sir!  can  swim  all  day,"  was  the  reply. 

"Then  follow  me  as  silently  as  possible,  and 
we  may  yet  escape." 

As  Frank  spoke,  he  swam  down  the  river  with 
swift,  noiseless  strokes,  anxious  to  get  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  boat  before  the  fire,  which 
now  began  to  make  rapid  headway,  should  light 


146      FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

up  the  river  and  discover  them  to  the  rebels. 
The  latter  had  ceased  firing,  and  were  scattered 
along  the  bank,  making  prisoners  of  the  trans- 
port's crew  as  fast  as  they  touched  the  shore. 
When  Frank  had  reached  the  place  where  the 
battery  was  stationed,  he  turned  upon  his  back, 
and  allowed  himself  to  float  along  with  the  current, 
and,  aided  by  the  darkness  and  the  smoke  of 
the  burning  transport,  which  blew  down  the  river, 
he  and  his  companion  passed  the  dangerous 
point  undiscovered.  Here  Frank  again  struck 
out,  his  every  movement  followed  by  the  cox- 
swain, who  was  close  behind  him,  and  who  floated 
through  the  water  like  a  cork. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  remained  in  the  river, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  shouts  of  the  rebels  could 
be  no  longer  heard,  that  Frank,  feeling  for  the 
present  safe  from  pursuit,  swam  to  the  shore 
and  sat  down  to  rest,  and  to  determine  upon 
their  future  movements. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      147 


CHAPTER  IX. 

UP  THE   WASHITA. 

All  noise  of  pursuit,  if  any  had  been  made, 
had  died  away,  and  not  a  sound  disturbed  the 
stillness  of  the  woods.  But  Frank  had  learned, 
by  experience,  that  silence  was  not  indicative 
of  safety,  for  it  might,  at  any  moment,  be  broken 
by  the  report  of  muskets,  or  a  sudden  demand 
for  surrender  from  enemies  who  had  followed 
them  so  silently  that  their  approach  had  not 
been  discovered.  He  bent  suspicious  glances 
upon  the  woods  on  all  sides  of  him,  and  was 
ready  to  plunge  into  the  water  again  upon  hearing 
the  least  sounds  of  pursuit. 

^Tiat  had  become  of  the  wounded  pilot,  the 
lieutenant,  and  the  rest  of  the  cutter's  crew? 
All  who  had  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore, 
were,  beyond  a  doubt,  prisoners. 

Frank  shuddered  when  he  thought  of  the  hard 


148       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

fare  and  harder  treatment  that  awaited  the  poor 
fellows,  recalling  to  mind  incidents  of  his  own 
capture  and  escape,  which  made  him  doubly 
anxious  to  reach  the  Mississippi  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, where  he  would  be  safe  among  friends. 

After  resting  nearly  an  hour,  for  their  long 
swim  had  wearied  them,  they  continued  their 
flight  down  the  river,  being  careful  to  keep  close 
to  the  bank,  so  that  in  case  of  emergency  they 
could  again  take  to  the  water.  The  shore  was 
covered  with  logs  and  bushes,  and  their  progress 
was  slow  and  laborious.  But  daylight  came  at 
length,  and  shortly  afterward  they  discovered  a 
transport  coming  up  the  river.  When  she  arrived 
opposite  to  them,  Frank  hailed  her,  and  the 
boat  landed  and  took  them  on  board.  Frank 
gave  the  information  that  there  was  a  battery 
above,  and  the  captain,  not  liking  the  idea  of 
trusting  his  unarmed  vessel  within  range  of  its 
guns,  ordered  the  pilot  to  round-to  and  start 
down  the  river  again.  The  order  was  obeyed 
at  once,  and  Frank  and  the  coxswain,  who  now 
began  to  breathe  more  freely,  went  below  and 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       149 

stood  before  the  fire-doors  to  dry  their  clothing. 
About  noon  they  arrived  at  the  Mississippi  River, 
the  transport  landing  alongside  the  vessel  of 
the  commanding  naval  officer,  to  whom  Frank 
delivered  his  dispatches  in  trimnph,  at  the  same 
time  apologizing  for  his  appearance,  for  he  was 
without  coat,  hat,  or  side-arms. 

Among  these  dispatches  of  the  admiral  were 
orders  for  two  tin-clads  to  report  at  Alexandria. 
These  vessels  were  to  be  used  to  keep  the  banks 
clear  of  rebels,  to  carry  dispatches,  and  to  convoy 
unarmed  steamers  up  and  down  the  river.  The 
necessary  orders  were  promptly  issued,  and  in 
a  short  time  the  tin-clads  came  alongside;  their 
commanders  received  their  instructions,  after 
which  the  vessels  steamed  up  Red  River,  one 
of  them  having  Frank  and  the  coxswain  on  board. 
The  former  had  in  his  possession  several  official 
documents  addressed  to  the  admiral.  If  he  could 
have  seen  the  inside  of  one  of  them,  he  would 
have  found  (greatly  to  his  surprise)  that  it  con- 
tained a  complete  history  of  the  run  from  Alex- 
andria, that  it  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  his 


150       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

skill  and  bravery,  and  ended  with  a  recommen- 
dation for  a  master's  appointment.  This  letter 
had  been  written  by  the  captain  to  whom  Frank 
had  delivered  his  dispatches",  he  having  learned 
the  full  particulars  from  the  coxswain,  whom 
he  had  summoned  into  his  presence  while  Frank 
was  in  the  wardroom  eating  his  dinner.  The 
sailor  described  all  that  had  happened  in  glowing 
language,  dwelling  with  a  good  deal  of  emphasis 
upon  the  "pluck"  displayed  by  his  young  officer, 
and  the  ignorance  and  cowardice  of  the  lieutenant, 
and  ended  with  saying,  "He  didn't  think  of 
nothing,  sir,  but  them  dispatches;  and  it  an't 
every  man  that  could  have  saved  'em,  sir."  The 
captain  fully  agreed  with  the  coxswain,  and 
when  the  latter  was  dismissed,  he  gave  his  pants 
a  vigorous  hitch,  and  said  to  himself,  "If  Mr. 
Nelson  don't  get  another  stripe  around  his  arm 
now,  may  I  be  keelhauled."  And  one,  to  have 
seen  him,  would  have  thought  that  he  was  as 
much  pleased  at  the  prospect  as  though  he  was 
about  to  receive  the  appointment  himself.  Frank, 
of  course,  knew  nothing  of  this,  and  little  imagin- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       151 

ing  that  he  was  carrying  a  recommendation  for 
his  promotion,  he  put  the  letters  carefully  away 
in  his  pocket,  thinking,  no  doubt,  they  were 
all-important  official  documents. 

A  short  time  before  dark  they  arrived  at  the 
junction  of  the  Black  and  Washita  Rivers,  where 
Frank  found  the  Michigan  anchored,  in  company 
with  four  or  five  other  gunboats.  He  reported 
his  safe  return  to  his  captain,  and  then  went 
into  the  wardroom  and  sat  down  to  report  to 
the  admiral  by  letter,  according  to  his  instructions. 
After  all  he  had  passed  through,  one  would  sup- 
pose that  his  report  would  have  been  a  long  one; 
but  he  wisely  thought  that  all  the  admiral  cared 
to  know  was  that  his  dispatches  had  been  safely 
delivered.  He  therefore  wrote,  in  the  briefest 
manner — 

"I  have  the  honor  to  report  that,  in  obedience  to  your 
orders  of  the  20th  inst.,  I  took  passage  on  board  the  United 
States  army  transport  'Key  West,'  for  the  mouth  of  Red 
River,  with  dispatches,  which  were  deUvered  into  the  hands 
of  the  commanding  naval  officer  there.  I  have  to-day 
returned  on  board  my  vessel." 

This  was  all.  No  glowing  description  of  the 
gallant  manner  in  which  he  had  taken  the  trans- 


152       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

port  by  the  battery,  no  mention  of  the  ever- 
watchful  eye  he  had  kept  upon  his  dispatches, 
or  of  his  long  swim  from  the  burning  wreck, 
but  a  few  simple  lines,  that  told  the  admiral 
all  he  wished  to  know;  namely,  that  his  letters 
had  reached  their  destination.  This  report  Frank 
placed  before  the  captain,  who  wrote  upon  it 
"approved  and  respectfully  forwarded,"  (for  all 
letters  from  subordinate  officers  to  the  admiral 
had  to  pass  through  the  captain's  hands,)  and 
the  letter  was  put  into  the  general  mail.  Frank 
then,  m  obedience  to  the  captain's  order,  pro- 
ceeded to  give  that  gentleman  a  minute  account 
of  the  manner  in  which  he  had  executed  his  orders, 
together  with  the  names  of  the  men  belonging 
to  the  cutter's  crew  who  were  missing,  and  wound 
up  with  the  request  that  "something  might  be 
done  for  the  coxswain,"  for  he  was  a  brave  man, 
and  a  good  sailor.  As  the  Michigan  had  but 
one  boatswain's  mate,  (she  was  entitled  to  two,) 
the  captain  determined  to  promote  the  man, 
who  was  at  once  summoned  into  the  cabin  and 
presented  with  the  boatswain's  whistle.    He  re- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       153 

tired,  proud  of  his  promotion,  and  firm  in  his 
behef  that  "the  captain  and  Mr.  Nelson  were 
the  best  men  afloat." 

Frank,  so  weary  that  he  could  scarcely  walk, 
was  glad  to  get  to  bed;  but  the  captain  sat  for 
a  long  time  at  his  desk,  writing  a  letter  to  the 
admiral,  which  contained  the  statement  that,  in 
his  opinion,  "Acting  Ensign  Frank  Nelson,  by 
the  gallant  manner  in  which  he  had  executed 
the  important  business  intrusted  to  him,  had 
nobly  earned  his  promotion,  and,  by  the  skill 
and  judgment  he  had  exliibited  in  handling  the 
transport,  had  shown  that  he  was  fully  capable 
of  taking  charge  of  a  vessel  of  his  own,  and  that 
his  past  history,  taken  in  connection  with  his 
recent  exploit,  was  sufficient  guarantee  that  the 
honor  of  the  flag  would  never  suffer  in  his  hands." 

Frank,  all  unconscious  of  the  admiration  his 
gallant  behavior  had  excited  in  the  mind  of  the 
captain,  slept  soundly  until  daylight,  when  he 
was  called  up  to  get  the  vessel  under  way.  The 
expedition  was  composed  of  five  gunboats,  and 
its  destination  was  Monroe,  a  small  town  about 


154       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

two  hundred  miles  up  Washita  River.  Its  object 
was  to  capture  cotton,  and  to  destroy  any  forti- 
fications that  might  be  found  along  the  banks. 
The  remainder  of  the  fleet,  which  was  at  Alex- 
andria when  Frank  left,  had  gone  up  Red  River, 
toward  Shreveport.  Had  he  been  allowed  his 
choice  in  the  matter,  Frank  would  have  pre- 
ferred to  accompany  the  latter  expedition,  as 
he  then  would  have  been  able,  after  Slireveport 
had  been  captured,  to  visit  the  prison  in  which 
he  had  been  confined,  and  from  which  he  had 
escaped  in  so  remarkable  a  manner.  He  thought 
over  all  the  scenes  through  which  he  had  passed — 
his  capture,  the  march  to  Shreveport,  his  flight 
from  the  prison,  the  bayonet-fight  in  the  woods, 
the  chase  by  blood-hounds — and  they  seemed 
to  him  like  a  dream. 

George  Le  Dell,  who  was  the  officer  of  the 
deck,  stood  close  beside  Frank,  gazing  about  as 
if  every  object  that  met  his  eye  was  a  familiar 
one.  Every  turn  of  the  paddle-wheels  was  bring- 
ing him  nearer  to  the  home  of  his  childhood, 
from  which  he  was  now  excluded  by  the  stern 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       155 

mandate  of  his  rebel  father.  Ever  since  he  had 
been  attached  to  the  Michigan,  he  and  Frank 
had  been  bosom  friends.  The  dangers  through 
which  they  had  passed  while  fugitives  from  a 
rebel  prison — their  hair-breadth  escapes  from  re- 
capture— could  never  be  forgotten.  No  one  on 
board  besides  Frank  knew  any  thing  of  George's 
past  history.  In  accordance  with  the  latter's 
desire,  the  secret  was  closely  kept,  and  no  one 
imagined  that  the  pale,  quiet  yoimg  ofHcer  was 
any  relation  to  the  rebel  general  whose  house 
it  had  been  ordered  should  be  burned.  Ever 
since  the  receipt  of  that  order,  every  one  re- 
marked that  George  Le  Dell  had  been  unusually 
thoughtful,  but  no  one  knew  the  cause. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  he,  at  length,  "I  wish  1 
could  have  gone  up  Red  River.  I  want  to  see 
home  once  more,  but  I  don't  want  to  stand  by 
and  see  the  old  house  burned  over  the  heads  of 
my  mother  and  sisters.  I  don't  deny  that  the 
order  is  a  just  one,  but  I  don't  want  to  see  it 
executed.  I  begin  to  believe  that  I  am  a  good 
prophet,"  he  continued,  after  a  moment's  pause. 


156       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"I  told  father,  in  the  last  letter  I  ever  wrote  to 
him,  that  this  war  would  bring  him  nothing 
but  suffering  and  disgrace,  and  I  think  he  will 
find  that  I  told  the  truth." 

As  George  ceased  speaking,  he  turned  and 
walked  to  another  part  of  the  deck,  to  meet  the 
captain,  who  at  that  moment  came  out  of  his  cabin. 

Among  all  the  ship's  company,  there  was  but 
one  that  could  sympathize  with  George,  and 
that  one  was  Frank.  The  young  officer  cherished 
an  honest  enmity  toward  the  traitors  whose 
bloody  hands  were  stretched  out  to  pull  down 
the  Old  Flag  under  which  his  ancestors  had 
fought  and  died,  but  when  Frank  looked  upon 
the  pale  face  of  his  messmate,  and  listened  to 
his  oft-repeated  sentiments  of  loyalty,  and  heard 
him,  in  his  quiet  way,  expressing  his  firm  belief 
in  the  final  triumph  of  the  Government  and  the 
total  overthrow  of  the  rebellion,  and  when  he 
witnessed  his  quiet  submission  to  his  cruel  fate, 
knowing  that  he  was  cut  off  from  all  further 
intercourse  with  his  relatives,  he  could  not  help 
pitying  both  him   and   his   rebel   parents.    But 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       157 

he  knew,  from  those  letters  he  had  read,  and  which 
George  still  preserved,  and  from  what  he  had 
witnessed  on  that  memorable  night  when  he  and 
his  companions  had  stopped  at  the  plantation 
and  asked  for  food,  that  the  general  and  his 
family  had  taken  part  with  the  rebellion,  not 
to  secure  any  rights  which  they  imagined  had 
been  denied  them,  but  to  assist  in  "establishing 
a  confederacy  of  their  owm,  whose  corner-stone 
should  be  slavery,"  and  to  destroy  "every  vestige 
of  the  old  Union."  Like  George,  he  knew  that 
the  order  to  burn  the  house  was  a  just  one;  but 
he  would  have  been  much  better  pleased  had 
some  other  boat  been  selected  to  execute  it. 
He  did  not  pity  the  rebels  so  much,  but  he  did 
not  want  to  witness  the  sorrow  his  messmate 
would  experience  when  he  saw  the  home  of  his 
boyhood  enveloped  in  flames. 

The  next  day,  as  the  two  friends  stood  together 
on  deck,  George  suddenly  said — 

"We're  almost  there.  I  know  these  woods 
well.  I've  caught  many  a  string  of  fish  off  that 
log  that  lies  in  the  water  just  ahead." 


158       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

About  half  a  mile  further  on,  the  Michigan 
came  round  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river,  and  they 
saw  the  plantation  before  them.  Every  thing 
looked  just  as  it  did  on  that  long-to-be-remem- 
bered night  when  George  had  suddenly  presented 
himseK  before  his  relatives,  who  thought  him 
safe  in  the  prison  at  Tyler.  There  were  the 
broad  stone  steps  that  led  up  to  the  portico  on 
which  the  major  had  stood  while  making  known 
his  wants,  and  just  in  front  of  them  were  the 
posts  to  which  the  general  and  his  sons  had  fast- 
ened their  horses  before  entering  the  house. 

The  fleet  did  not  stop,  as  they  had  expected, 
but  kept  on  up  the  river,  and  in  a  few  moments 
more  the  plantation  was  out  of  sight.  No  doubt 
the  burning  of  the  house  was  to  be  put  off  until 
their  return. 

The  expedition  reached  Monroe  without  mishap, 
and  without  seeing  a  single  armed  rebel,  only 
stopping  now  and  then  to  pick  up  cotton,  which 
was  scattered  all  along  the  bank.  The  vessels 
remained  at  anchor  in  front  of  the  town  for  two 
days,   and   after   burning   the   public   buildings, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      159 

and  picking  up  some  escaped  Union  prisoners, 
started  down  the  river  again.  The  Michigan 
led  the  way,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second 
day  came  to  anchor  in  front  of  General  Le  Dell's 
plantation. 

"Mr.  Nelson,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  stepped 
down  out  of  the  pilot-house,  "order  two  com- 
panies of  small-armed  men  to  be  called  away, 
and  you  and  Mr.  Le  Dell  get  ready  to  go  on 
shore  with  me.  By  the  way,"  he  added,  turning 
to  George,  "I  have  orders  to  burn  out  this  rebel 
namesake  of  yours." 

"So  I  have  heard,  sir,"  replied  George,  while 
not  a  muscle  of  his  face  quivered  to  show  the 
surprise  and  sorrow  he  felt  at  being  obliged  to 
accompany  the  expedition  ashore.  He  had  hoped 
that  some  other  officer  would  be  chosen  to  accom- 
pany the  captain,  but  he  could  not  ask  to  be 
excused  from  duty  without  exciting  suspicions. 
The  reason  why  he  did  not  wish  to  go  could  be 
easily  guessed,  and  if  the  truth  became  known, 
it  would  be  followed  by  what  he  particularly 
desired  to  avoid — the  sympathy  of  all  his  mess- 


160       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

mates.  He  would  accompany  the  expedition,  but 
he  would  neither  enter  the  house  nor  go  into  the 
presence  of  his  mother  and  sisters,  and  he  might 
return  without  being  recognized.  By  the  time 
he  had  buckled  on  his  sword  and  returned  to 
the  deck  the  men  were  ready,  when,  in  obedience 
to  Frank's  order,  he  marched  them  on  board 
the  tug,  which  lay  at  the  stern  of  the  Michigan. 
When  they  reached  the  shore,  Frank  instructed 
George  to  post  sentries  all  around  the  house, 
both  to  guard  against  surprise,  and  also  to  pre- 
vent the  escape  of  any  rebel  soldiers  who  might 
chance  to  be  in  the  building,  after  which  he  accom- 
panied the  captain  to  the  door,  where  they  were 
met  by  Mrs.  Le  Dell  and  her  daughters,  who 
coldly  received  their  salutations,  and  waited  for 
them  to  make  known  the  object  of  their  visit. 

"  Madam,"  said  the  captain,  addressing  himself  to 
Mrs.  Le  Dell,  "1  am  ordered  to  burn  your  house." 

"I  have  been  expecting  it  for  a  long  time," 
was  the  reply. 

''I  will  give  you  a  reasonable  time,"  continued 
the  captain,  "to  remove  your  valuables." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       161 

The  lady  then  requested  that  an  hour  might 
be  allowed  her  to  send  for  a  neighbor,  who  lived 
several  miles  distant,  to  come  with  his  team 
to  remove  the  furniture  to  a  place  of  safety, 
as  all  the  wagons  about  the  plantation  had  been 
given  up  to  the  rebel  army.  This  was  granted, 
and  a  note,  which  was  first  presented  for  the 
inspection  of  the  captain,  was  at  once  dispatched 
to  summon  the  neighbor. 

In  the  meantime,  Frank  and  George  were  stroll- 
ing about  the  plantation,  the  latter  feasting  his 
eyes  on  every  familiar  object,  and  recalling  to 
mind  incidents  of  the  "good  old  times,"  as  he 
expressed  it.  Frank  also  recognized  two  objects; 
one  was  the  barn  where  he  and  his  fellow-fugi- 
tives had  halted  to  hold  a  consultation  before 
going  up  to  the  house;  and  the  other  was  the 
fence  behind  which  the  captain  had  left  their 
prisoner,  bound  hand  and  foot.  While  thus 
engaged,  a  little  boy,  who  had  approached  them 
without  being  discovered,  suddenly  called  out: 

"George!" 

The  latter  turned,  as  the  familiar  voice  reached 


162       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

his  car,  and  held  out  his  hands  to  his  brother, 
who  sprang  toward  him,  threw  his  arms  around 
his  neck,  and  burst  into  tears.  There  was  one 
among  George's  relatives  who  still  remembered 
and  loved  him. 

"George,"  sobbed  the  little  fellow,  "are  you 
a  Yankee  'bolitionist?" 

Tears  choked  George's  utterance,  and  the  boy, 
suddenly  breaking  from  his  arms,  ran  toward 
the  house,  and  scrambling  up  the  steps,  burst 
into  the  room  where  the  captain  and  ladies  were 
seated,  and  astonished  them  all  with: 

"Mother,  mother!  George  is  here.  He's  come 
back!" 

Both  mother  and  daughter  appeared  to  be 
considerably  agitated  upon  receiving  this  news, 
and  the  captain  noticing  it,  the  suspicion  flashed 
across  his  mind  that  it  was  one  of  their  rebel 
friends.  He  glanced  out  at  the  door,  and  saw 
his  two  officers  standing  quietly  together,  the 
sentinels  walking  their  beats,  and  felt  satisfied 
that  the  rebel,  whoever  he  was,  might  consider 
himself  a  prisoner. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       163 

"Who  do  you  mean,  my  little  man?"  he  asked, 
putting  his  hand  on  the  boy's  head.  "What 
is  his  other  name?" 

"George  Le  Dell,"  replied  the  boy,  promptly. 
"He's  my  brother.  He's  out  there,"  and  he 
pointed  toward  the  place  where  George  and 
Frank  were  standing. 

"Is  that  3^our  brother?"  asked  the  captain 
in  surprise,  as  he  turned  toward  Mrs.  Le  Dell 
for  an  explanation. 

"I  have  a  son  in  the  Federal  navy,"  replied 
the  lady. 

"Then,  madam,"  said  the  captain,  "if  that 
young  man  out  there  is  your  son,  allow  me  to  say 
that  you  have  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  him." 

At  this  moment  the  neighbor  for  whom  they 
had  sent  arrived,  and  he  and  the  captain  held 
a  long  conversation;  after  which,  to  his  surprise, 
Frank  was  ordered  to  collect  the  men  and  march 
them  on  board  the  tug.  The  Michigan  remained 
at  her  anchorage  until  the  flag-ship  of  the  expe- 
dition came  down,  when  the  two  captains  had 
a  short  consultation,  and  both  vessels  got  under 


164       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

way  and  steamed  down  the  river.  The  reason 
given  why  the  order  to  burn  the  house  was  not 
executed  was  this:  UnUke  the  majority  of  rebel 
commanders,  General  Le  Dell  had  always  treated 
Union  prisoners  who  had  fallen  into  his  hands 
with  the  greatest  humanity.  Although  he  seemed 
to  be  particularly  spiteful  toward  George,  whom 
he  called  a  "young  traitor,"  he  always  endeavored 
to  make  the  condition  of  other  prisoners  as  toler- 
able as  possible.  The  truth  of  this  was  attested 
by  the  soldiers  they  had  picked  up  at  Monroe, 
all  of  whom  were  officers,  and  they  had  done 
much  toward  saving  the  property.  The  captain 
of  the  Michigan  had  delayed  to  fulfill  his  orders 
until  the  arrival  of  his  superior,  in  order  to  com- 
municate some  news  he  had  received  from  the 
man  who  had  been  sent  to  remove  the  furniture, 
and  when  the  flag-ship  arrived,  the  order  had 
been  countermanded. 

"Perhaps  every  thing  will  come  out  right  after 
the  war,"  said  George,  as  the  two  friends  stood 
watching  the  plantation  as  long  as  it  remained 
in  sight.  "If  it  does,  we'll  have  the  old  house 
to  live  in." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       165 

On  the  way  down  the  river,  large  quantities  of 
cotton  were  captured,  which  made  both  officers 
and  men  look  forward  to  a  good  share  of  prize- 
money,  and  one  afternoon — about  a  week  after 
leaving  Monroe — they  reached  Black  River  in 
safety. 


166       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    PROMOTION. 

The  next  day,  in  obedience  to  orders  from 
the  admiral,  the  Michigan  steamed  up  Red  River, 
and  came  to  an  anchor  in  front  of  Fort  De  Russy. 
A  few  rebel  soldiers  had  taken  possession  of  the 
fortifications,  and  the  vessel  had  scarcely  dropped 
her  anchor  when  they  opened  upon  her  with 
muskets.  All  hands  were  ordered  under  cover, 
and  for  two  days  were  kept  closely  confined  below. 
The  bullets,  which  constantly  whistled  over  the 
deck,  did  no  damage  beyond  cutting  down  the 
flag — ^which,  however  was  promptly  hoisted  again 
— and  battering  up  the  officers'  rooms  on  the 
quarter-deck,  which  were  not  iron-clad.  Several 
attempts  were  made  to  dislodge  the  rebels,  but, 
as  usual,  without  success.  On  the  third  day, 
however,  a  heavy  firing  up  the  river,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Alexandria,  announced  that  the  expedition 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       167 

was  returning,  and  the  rebels,  fearing  capture, 
hastily  withdrew.  Toward  evening  the  fleet  came 
in  sight,  some  of  the  transports  having  gunboats 
alongside  of  them  for  protection.  The  entire 
fleet  bore  marks  of  the  handiwork  of  the  rebels, 
in  the  shape  of  battered  casemates,  broken  chim- 
neys, and  shattered  upper  works.  Little  had 
been  accomplished  beyond  the  capture  of  cotton, 
and  both  officers  and  men  seemed  delighted  to 
find  themselves  once  more  on  the  way  to  the 
Mississippi  River. 

In  about  an  hour  after  the  first  boats  of  the 
fleet  had  made  their  appearance,  a  tin-clad  came 
down,  bearing  the  admiral's  flag,  and  rounded-to 
and  landed  a  short  distance  below  the  Michigan. 
Close  behind  her  came  another  of  the  mosquito 
fleet,  towed  by  a  transport.  Both  vessels  were 
badly  cut  up,  especially  the  gunboat,  which  was 
almost  a  wreck.  Both  chimneys  had  either  been 
broken  off  by  branches  of  trees  or  shattered  by  a 
shell,  and  her  casemates  were  pierced  in  a  hundred 
places.  Her  engines  had  also  been  disabled,  and 
her  wheel  hung  motionless  in  the  water.    Still 


168       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

she  retained  enough  of  her  former  appearance 
for  Frank  to  recognize  in  her  his  old  vessel,  the 
Boxer;  besides,  he  saw  his  cousin  on  the  guards 
waving  his  handkerchief  to  him.  While  Frank 
stood  watching  the  vessel,  wondering  how  any 
of  her  crew  could  have  escaped,  and  how  Archie 
had  conducted  himself  during  the  fights  through 
which  he  had  passed,  the  captain  came  up  out  of 
his  cabin  and  exclaimed: 

"Mr.  Nelson,  you're  wanted  on  board  the  flag- 
ship! Don't  wait  to  get  your  side-arms,  but  go 
at  once.  The  admiral  is  in  a  great  hurry  to  see 
you!" 

Frank,  wondering  what  new  orders  he  was 
about  to  receive,  ran  down  the  ladder  that  led 
to  the  afterguard,  reached  the  shore  on  a  plank 
that  extended  from  the  stern  of  the  vessel  to 
the  bank,  and  in  a  short  time  was  in  the  presence 
of  the  admiral. 

That  gentleman  was  so  busy  that  he  did  not 
notice  Frank,  until  one  of  his  clerks  exclaimed: 

"Admiral!  here's  Captain  Nelson,  sir." 

"Ah,  yes,"  said  the  admiral,  scarcely  looking 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       169 

up  from  his  work.  "Sit  down,  captain;  I'm 
very  busy  just  at  present." 

Captain!  Frank  knew  that  neither  the  admiral 
nor  his  clerks  were  in  the  habit  of  making  mis- 
takes, but  he  thought  they  were  certainly  mistaken 
this  time.  Perhaps  they  were  so  busy  they  had 
not  taken  time  to  see  who  he  was.  But  he  was 
not  kept  long  in  suspense,  for  the  admiral,  after 
signing  his  name  to  several  documents,  turned 
in  his  chair,  and  picking  up  some  letters  that 
lay  on  his  desk,  handed  them  to  Frank,  saying: 

"Captain,  there  are  your  orders.  I  only  wanted 
to  see  you  to  say  that  I  wish  them  obeyed  with 
the  least  possible  delay.  Have  the  Boxer  back 
here  as  soon  as  you  can,  for  I  want  to  use  her. 
Get  your  baggage  on  board  and  start  at  once." 

Frank,  so  bewildered  that  he  scarcely  knew 
what  the  admiral  was  saying,  took  the  letters 
and  hurried  back  to  the  Michigan.  The  captain 
met  him  at  the  gangway,  and  extending  his 
hand,  said,  with  a  smile: 

"Fm  sorry  to  have  you  leave  us,  Mr.  Nelson. 
I  suppose  you  have  got  it?" 


170       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"1  have  something,  sir/'  replied  Frank,  "but 
I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

As  he  spoke,  he  tore  open  one  of  the  envelopes, 
and  hastily  running  his  eye  over  the  letter  it 
contained,  found,  to  his  astonishment,  that  he 
was  an  acting  master.  The  next  one  he  opened 
was  an  order  for  him  to  report  "to  the  command- 
ing officer  of  the  U.  S.  S.  Boxer  for  duty  and 
command  of  that  vessel."  The  other  contained 
instructions  for  him  to  "proceed  to  Cairo  without 
delay,  and  place  his  vessel  under  repairs,  and 
as  soon  as  she  was  put  in  condition  for  service, 
to  return  and  report  to  the  admiral." 

"Just  as  I  expected,"  said  the  captain,  who 
seemed  to  be  as  highly  elated  as  Frank  himself. 
"Just  as  I  expected,  sir.  You  deserve  it,  and 
I  congratulate  you." 

Frank  made  some  reply,  in  his  excitement 
he  hardly  knew  what,  and  hurried  off  to  pack 
his  trunk  and  bed-clothes.  This  being  accom- 
plished, his  baggage  was  carried  to  the  cutter, 
which  lay  alongside,  and  after  taking  leave  of 
the  captain  and  his  messmates,  he  stepped  into 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       171 

the  boat  and  started  for  his  vessel,  which  still  lay 
at  the  bank,  below  the  flagship,  with  the  trans- 
port which  was  to  tow^  her  to  Cairo.  As  he  stepped 
on  board  the  Boxer,  he  was  met  by  Archie,  and 
several  of  his  old  messmates,  who  greeted  him 
cordially.  The  executive  officer  was  in  command, 
and  to  him  Frank  showed  his  orders,  and  requested 
that  his  baggage  might  be  conveyed  into  the 
cabin.  He  then  went  on  deck,  and  after  ascer- 
taining that  the  transport  was  ready  to  start, 
ordered  the  line  cast  off,  and  both  vessels  were 
soon  on  their  course  down  the  river. 

After  findmg  they  were  fairly  under  way, 
Frank,  accompanied  by  Archie,  went  into  the 
cabin,  and  sat  do^\Ti  to  collect  his  thoughts,  for, 
in  the  excitement  of  his  unexpected  promotion, 
he  moved  like  one  in  a  dream.  The  cabin  steward 
had  already  taken  his  trunk  into  his  state-room, 
and  was  engaged  in  making  his  bed.  Captain 
Nelson!  How  strangely  it  sounded;  and  Frank 
repeated  it  several  times,  and  gazed  about  the 
cabin  as  if  he  could  scarcely  believe  that  he 
was  awake.    He  read  his  appointment  and  orders 


172       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

over  and  over  again,  both  to  fully  understand 
what  was  required  of  him,  and  to  convince  him- 
self that  he  was  in  reality  the  commander  of  a 
vessel.  When  he  was  made  the  executive  officer 
of  the  very  boat  he  now  commanded,  he  had 
reached  the  height  of  his  ambition,  and  his  pre- 
sent position  was  a  step  higher  than  he  had  dared 
to  look. 

The  captain  of  a  gunboat  generally  lives  in 
a  little  world  of  his  own.  He  has  a  cabin  all 
to  himself,  messes  alone,  and  rarely  has  inter- 
course with  his  officers,  except  upon  business. 
If  he  has  a  messmate,  it  is  either  a  clerk,  or  the 
paymaster  or  doctor  of  the  vessel.  Frank  was 
not  entitled  to  a  clerk,  but  he  had  a  paymaster, 
and,  at  his  request,  Archie  at  once  commenced 
the  removal  of  his  baggage  into  one  of  the  vacant 
state-rooms  in  the  cabin.  While  thus  engaged, 
the  orderly  announced  the  executive  officer,  who 
entered  to  inquire  if  Frank  had  any  orders  to 
give.  The  latter  replied  that  he  had  not,  and 
for  nearly  an  hour  he  remained  in  conversation 
with  the  executive,  during  which  he  learned  the 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       173 

exact  state  of  affairs  about  decks.  Every  thing 
appeared  to  be  going  on  smoothly,  and  Frank 
had  no  desire  to  show  his  authority  by  issuing 
unnecessary  orders.  One  by  one  the  wardroom 
and  steerage  officers  came  in  to  congratulate 
the  young  commander,  and  when  bed-time  came 
they  returned  to  their  quarters,  saying  among 
themselves  that  "Captain  Nelson  didn't  feel  any 
bigger  in  his  new  position  than  he  would  if  he 
were  nothing  but  a  Johmiy  master's  mate." 

One  afternoon,  after  they  had  reached  the 
Mississippi  River,  as  Frank  sat  at  his  desk,  writing 
a  letter  to  his  mother,  and  Archie  lay  on  the 
sofa  close  by,  engaged  in  reading,  there  was  a 
commotion  on  deck,  and  the  orderly  burst  into 
the  cabin,  exclaiming: — 

"Rebels,  cap'n!  A  battery  just  ahead,  sir!" 
And  he  had  scarcely  spoken,  when  there  was 
a  roar  of  cannon,  and  the  shells  burst  over  and 
about  the  vessels. 

"Call  to  quarters,"  said  Frank,  as  he  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  ran  into  his  room  after  his  side- 
arms  and  the  keys  to  the  magazine. 


174       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  orderly  disappeared,  followed  by  Archie, 
who,  throwing  his  book  into  the  furthest  corner 
of  the  cabin,  ran  on  deck,  without  even  waiting 
to  get  his  hat. 

After  ordering  the  executive,  who  met  him 
at  the  door,  to  have  the  lamps  in  the  magazine 
lighted,  and  to  prepare  for  action,  Frank  ran 
into  the  pilot-house,  and  looking  up  the  river, 
discovered  a  smoke  arising  from  a  point  half 
a  mile  in  advance  of  them. 

"Captain,"  shouted  the  commander  of  the  trans- 
port, who  stood  in  his  pilot-house,  "what  do  you 
want  me  to  do?" 

"Take  us  up  the  river  as  fast  as  you  can," 
shouted  Frank,  in  reply. 

The  captain  had  evidently  seen  some  stirring 
times  while  up  Red  River.  He  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  the  noise  and  confusion  of  battle,  and 
his  actions  indicated  that  he  did  not  like  the 
idea  of  attempting  to  run  by  the  battery.  But 
his  orders  from  the  admiral  were  to  take  the 
Boxer  to  Cairo  as  soon  as  possible,  and  he  dared 
not  disobey  them. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       175 

"All  ready  below,  sir,"  was  the  word  at  this 
moment  passed  up  through  the  trumpet. 

All  the  guns  on  board  the  Boxer  were  pointed 
at  the  battery,  and  the  crew  impatiently  waited 
for  the  order  to  fire.  Frank  stood  at  his  post, 
watching  the  battery  through  a  spy-glass,  and 
waiting  until  they  should  come  to  close  quarters, 
so  that  he  could  make  every  shot  count.  All 
this  while  the  shells  had  been  dropping  into  the 
water,  and  shrieking  through  the  air  about  the 
vessels,  and  one  or  two  had  found  a  lodgment 
in  the  wheel-house  of  the  transport.  They  kept 
on  in  silence  until  they  arrived  almost  opposite 
the  battery,  which  stood  out  in  plain  view,  unpro- 
tected by  levee  or  other  breastwork,  and  Frank 
then  gave  the  order  to  open  upon  them.  The 
crash  that  followed  the  order,  as  every  gun  that 
could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  battery  belched 
forth  its  contents,  was  terrific.  Shells  and  canis- 
ter rattled  over  the  bank,  cutting  down  the  rebel 
gunners,  and  disabling  one  of  their  cannon.  As 
quickly  as  possible,  the  guns  were  reloaded,  and 
almost  before  the  rebels  had  recovered  from  their 


176       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

panic,  another  broadside  was  poured  into  them, 
and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  battery 
was  standing  deserted.  Here  was  an  opportmiity 
that,  to  Frank,  had  he  possessed  men  enough 
to  back  him  up,  woukl  not  have  been  lost;  he 
would  have  landed,  and  captured  the  battery. 
But  he  was  ignorant  of  the  force  of  the  rebels. 
There  might  be  a  regiment  of  them  hidden  away 
in  the  woods — enough  to  have  captured  the  ves- 
sels the  moment  they  touched  the  bank — and 
to  have  lost  the  Boxer  scarcely  a  week  after  he 
had  been  placed  in  command  of  her  would  have 
been  a  misfortune  indeed.  He  kept  on  up  the 
river,  shelling  the  woods  as  long  as  he  could 
bring  a  gun  to  bear  upon  them. 

In  a  few  days  they  arrived  at  Cairo,  where 
Frank  reported  to  the  commandant  of  the  station, 
and  his  vessel  was  at  once  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  workmen  at  the  navy-yard.  The  work 
was  rapidly  pushed  forward,  and  at  the  end  of 
a  month  she  was  declared  ready  for  service, 
and  after  she  had  been  furnished  with  a  full 
crew  from  the  receiving  ship,   and  Archie  had 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       177 

laid  in  a  stock  of  paymaster's  stores,  the  Boxer, 
in  obedience  to  orders,  started  down  the  river 
to  report  to  the  admiral. 


178        FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  AIISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   RIVAL   SPIES. 

They  found  the  admiral  at  Natchez,  and  when 
Frank  had  reported  his  arrival,  he  was  ordered 
to  take  his  station  at  Gaines'  Landing — a  place 
noted  for  guerrillas — which  they  reached  in  safety. 
For  two  or  three  days,  nothing  worthy  of  note 
transpired,  the  rebels,  if  there  were  any  about, 
being  careful  not  to  show  themselves. 

One  night,  while  Frank  was  walking  the  deck, 
arm-in-arm  with  his  cousin,  the  officer  on  watch 
approached,  and  said,  in  a  low  voice: 

"Look  there,  sir!  What  kind  of  a  craft  is 
that?" 

Frank  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  and 
an  object  about  the  size  of  a  man's  head  could 
be  dimly  seen  in  the  water,  silently  but  rapidly 
approaching  the  vessel.    It  came  from  toward 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       179 

the  nearest  shore,  and  the  thought  that  it  was 
a  torpedo  instantly  flashed  through  his  mind. 
Taking  the  spy-glass  from  the  quarter-master, 
he  leveled  it  at  the  object,  and  could  distinctly 
see  that  it  was  a  human  head,  and  that  it  belonged 
to  some  one  who  was  an  excellent  swimmer, 
for  he  was  making  rapid  progress  through  the 
water. 

"I  don't  see  any  torpedo  there,"  said  he,  at 
length,  handing  the  glass  to  his  cousin,  ''for 
the  fellow,  whoever  he  is,  is  using  both  hands." 
Then  raising  his  voice  he  called  out,  "Who  comes 
there?" 

"A  friend,"  was  the  scarcely  audible  reply. 

"Come  on  board  here." 

"That's  just  what  I  w^ant  to  do,"  answered  the 
man,  who,  with  a  few  more  strokes,  was  near 
enough  to  be  seized  by  the  quarter-master — who 
had  ran  below  with  a  lantern — and  lifted  upon 
the  guards. 

"Who  are  you,  and  what  are  you  doing  here 
at  this  time  of  night?"  asked  Frank,  as  soon  as 
the  man  had  come  on  deck. 


180       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"My  name  is  William  Striker,"  was  the  an- 
swer, "and  I  am  an  escaped  Union  scout." 

Frank  took  the  lantern  from  the  quarter- 
master's hand  and  held  it  up,  so  that  he  could 
obtain  a  good  view  of  the  man's  face.  He  was 
certain  he  had  seen  it  before,  but  could  not  remem- 
ber where. 

"I  have  a  better  memory  than  you,  sir,"  said 
the  man  at  length,  "I  have  seen  you  before. 
I  met  you  in  the  trenches  at  Vicksburg." 

As  the  man  spoke,  he  produced  a  bundle  of 
wet  papers,  from  which  he  selected  one  that 
he  handed  to  Frank.  It  was  the  appointment 
of  major,  and  addressed  to  William  Striker, 
United  States  Scout.  But  this  was  no  proof 
that  the  man  was  in  reality  what  he  professed 
to  be,  for  Frank  remembered  that  he  had  once 
passed  himself  ofT  as  Lieutenant  Somers,  of  the 
rebel  army,  and  had  sho\\Ti  his  appointment 
and  orders  to  prove  it.  It  was  true  that  he 
wore  the  dress  of  a  Union  major,  but  that  might 
have  been  obtained  in  the  same  manner  that 
Frank  once  got  his  rebel  uniform.    There  was 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      181 

something  suspicious  in  a  man's  presenting  him- 
self on  board  the  vessel  at  that  time  of  night, 
and  in  so  imcommon  a  manner, 

"Well,"  said  Frank,  "if  you  were  in  the  trenches 
at  Vicksburg,  tell  me  something  that  happened 
there." 

The  soldier  then  told  Frank  of  the  experiment 
of  which  the  latter  had  made  use  to  see  "how 
far  off  the  rebels  were,"  during  which  he  lost 
his  cap,  the  rebel  who  captured  it  offering  to 
"trade"  for  it  a  tattered  slouch-hat  with  a  bullet- 
hole  in  it,  and  informed  him  that  he  was  the 
scout  who  had  told  him  the  story  of  his  "partner" 
Sam,  and  their  raid  into  the  rebel  camp,  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  Colonel  Peckham. 
He  also  related  other  little  incidents  which  Frank 
had  not  forgotten,  and  which  proved  that  he 
was  in  reality  the  scout  whom  he  had  met  in 
the  trenches,  and  not  a  rebel  spy,  as  he  had  at 
first  feared.  Being  fully  satisfied  on  this  point, 
the  major  was  conducted  into  the  cabin,  and 
while  he  was  exchanging  his  wet  clothes  for 
some  that  Frank  and  Archie  had  provided  for 


182       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

him,  the  former  ordered  his  steward  to  prepare 
supper  for  their  guest,  for  he  knew,  by  expe- 
rience, that  a  man  who  had  been  a  prisoner  among 
the  rebels  was  hungry.  The  major  sat  down  to  the 
table  with  a  most  ravenous  appetite  and  the 
good  things  the  steward  had  prepared  rapidly 
disappeared.  When  he  had  finished  his  meal, 
in  answer  to  Frank's  inquiry  how  he  came  to 
be  a  prisoner,  he  gave  the  following  account  of 
his  adventures,  which  he  remarked  were  a  "little 
ahead  of  any  thing  he  had  ever  gone  through," 

"In  the  first  place,"  said  he,  "I  must  tell 
you  what  became  of  my  comrade,  Sam,  as  it 
was  in  endeavoring  to  assist  him  that  I  was  cap- 
tured. His  career  as  a  scout,  although  an  excit- 
ing one,  full  of  stirring  adventures  and  hair- 
breadth escapes,  was  brought  to  a  close  soon 
after  the  capture  of  Vicksburg. 

"When  the  army  again  took  up  its  line  of 
march,  we  made  several  excursions  into  the  rebel 
lines,  and  one  night  we  stopped  at  a  plantation- 
house  to  shelter  ourselves  from  the  rain,  for  it 
was  storming  violently,  and  also  to  see  if  we 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       183 

could  not  pick  up  some  information  that  might 
be  of  use  to  us.  The  only  inmate  of  the  house 
was  an  old  woman,  who,  believing  us  to  be  rebels, 
talked  freely  with  us  on  all  subjects;  and  dur- 
ing the  conversation,  which  finally  turned  upon 
scouting,  informed  us  that  there  was  a  scout 
in  the  rebel  army  who  was  far  ahead  of  any 
*'Yank"  that  ever  lived.  He  was  described  as. 
a  daring,  quick-witted  fellow,  and  many  a  dis- 
aster that  had  befallen  us  was  owing  to  him. 
As  I  listened  to  the  stories  told  of  him,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  truth  in  them,  and  that  some  spy  must  in- 
deed have  been  in  our  camp,  for  the  woman 
was  acquainted  with  several  moves  we  had  made, 
and  which  had  been  defeated,  the  particulars 
of  which,  I  thought,  were  known  only  to  the 
general  and  his  staff.  This  led  me  to  believe 
that  the  scout,  whoever  he  was,  staid  about 
head-quarters,  else  how  could  he  obtain  so  much 
information. 

"The  woman  seemed   to  be   well   acquainted 
with  him  and  his  movements,  and  told  us  of 


184       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

several  of  his  exploits,  which,  if  true,  showed 
the  spy  to  be  a  man  admirably  fitted  for  his 
position.  I  listened  attentively  to  all  she  said, 
in  hopes  I  should  learn  something  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  for  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
that  as  soon  as  I  could  find  out  his  movements, 
he  and  I  would  have  a  meeting.  But  all  I  could 
learn  was  that  his  name  was  Bob  Cole. 

*'  'Well,'  said  I,  'do  you  know  that  as  long  as  I 
have  been  in  the  army,  I  have  never  seen  this  man?' 

"  'Haven't  yer!'  exclaimed  the  woman,  in  sur- 
prise. 'Wal,  come  to  think,  I  don't  know  as 
that  is  so  funny,  arter  all,  'cause  he's  in  the 
Yankee  camp  most  of  the  time,  an',  as  they  think 
he  is  one  of  them,  he  goes  an'  comes  when  he 
pleases.  He's  a  smart  one,  I  tell  yer.  Some 
of  the  boys  told  me  that  he  is  a  goin'  to  bring 
in  a  prisoner  this  week,  in  the  shape  of  a  Yankee 
scout  an'  spy.  Bill  Striker  is  his  name,  I  be- 
lieve.    Do  yer  know  him?' 

"I  couldn't  help  starting  when  I  found  that 
I  was  known  to  this  noted  rebel;  but  the  woman 
didn't  notice  it,  and  I  replied: 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       185 

"  'Oh,  yes!    I've  heard  of  him.' 

"  'Cordin'  to  all  accounts/  continued  the  woman, 
'this  Yankee  an't  much  behind  Bob,  for  he  has 
often  been  in  our  camp,  an'  he  don't  allers  go 
back  empty-handed.  If  he  ketches  a  feller  in  an 
out-of-the-way  place,  he  is  sartin  to  gobble  him 
up.  But  his  time  is  most  up  now,  'kase  Bob  never 
fails  in  any  thing  when  he  onct  gets  his  mind  sot 
on  it,  an'  when  I  heerd  that  he  was  a  goin' 
to  ketch  this  Yank,  I  believed  he  would  do  it.' 

"It  was  very  encouraging  to  sit  there  and 
listen  to  a  person  talk  so  confidently  of  my  speedy 
capture;  but,  as  it  happened,  I  had  been  put 
on  my  guard,  and  another  thing,  I  didn't  have 
quite  as  much  faith  in  Bob  Cole  as  his  rebel 
friends  had,  and  was  in  no  way  concerned  about 
his  being  able  to  fulfill  his  promise.  It  set  me 
to  thinking,  however,  and  I  determined  I  would 
not  sleep  sound  until  I  had  found  him,  and  then 
there  would  be  a  prisoner  taken,  sure;  but  it 
wouldn't  be  Bill  vStriker. 

"  '\Miat  kind  of  a  looking  man  is  he?'  I  asked, 
at  length. 


186       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"'Oh,  he's  a'— 

"Just  at  this  moment  we  heard  several  horse- 
men going  by  the  house,  and  Sam  exclaimed: 

"  'There  are  some  of  our  boys  now.  Perhaps 
we  are  wanted.' 

"  I  knew  well  enough  what  he  meant.  Although 
we  had  frequently  met  rebels  while  scouting 
about  through  their  lines,  we  were  not  at  all 
fond  of  them,  and  did  not  want  to  be  in  their 
company  if  we  could  help  it, 

"Those  who  had  just  gone  by  might  at  any 
moment  return  and  enter  the  house;  and  besides, 
it  occurred  to  me  that  if  I  was  so  well  known 
to  the  rebel  spy,  I  was  not  safe  except  in  our 
own  camp.  I  might,  at  any  time,  run  into  a 
trap  he  had  laid  for  me.  At  any  rate,  we  thought 
it  best  to  get  within  our  lines  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible; so,  without  waiting  to  hear  the  woman's 
description  of  Bob  Cole,  we  bid  her  good  night. 

"We  reached  our  camp  in  safety,  reported 
our  return,  and  the  next  morning  I  walked  up 
to  head-quarters,  where  I  remained  until  dark, 
talking  with  the  general's  hostler,  and  keeping 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       187 

an  ear  open  for  news,  but  was  obliged  to  go  away 
without  hearing  any.  The  next  day  I  was  kept 
busy  carrying  dispatches,  and  when  I  returned 
at  night,  I  learned  that  Sam  had  gone  into  the 
rebel  camp,  as  they  were  making  some  move- 
ment, the  particulars  of  which  the  general  was 
anxious  to  learn.  I  thought  nothing  of  it  at 
the  time,  but  when  night  came  and  he  did  not 
return,  I  began  to  fear  that  he  had  been  cap- 
tured or  killed.  It  then  occurred  to  me  that 
if  I  could  get  back  to  the  house  where  lived  the 
woman  who  had  told  us  of  Bob  Cole,  I  might 
learn  something  that  would  be  to  my  advantage; 
so  I  put  on  my  rebel  uniform,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments was  out  of  the  lines..  I  reached  the  house 
in  safety,  and  was  delighted  to  find  there  were 
no  rebels  about.  The  woman  seemed  glad  to 
see  me,  brought  me  a  cup  of  water  to  drink, 
and  after  a  few  minutes'  conversation  exclaimed : 

"  '  Wal,  they've  gobbled  up  one  of  them  fellers!' 

"  'Which  one?'    I  asked. 

"  'I  don't  know  his  name.  Bob  done  it.  He 
seed  him  leave  the  Yankee  camp,  an'  follered 


188       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

him,  an'  while  they  were  ridin'  along  together, 
he  tuk  out  his  pistol  an'  told  the  Yank  to  give 
up  his  we'pons;  but  the  feller  wouldn't  do  it, 
an'  Bob  had  to  shoot  him.  But  he  didn't  kill 
him;  he  only  shot  him  through  the  shoulder. 
He's  sartin  to  be  hung.' 

"You  can  easily  imagine  my  feelings  as  I  sat 
there  and  listened  to  this.  It  required  a  strong 
effort  to  subdue  my  feelings. 

"  'How  does  Bob  Cole  disguise  himself?'  I 
asked,  in  as  firm  a  voice  as  I  could  command. 
'What  does  he  do  in  the  Yankee  camp?' 

"  'That's  what  nobody,  'sides  Bob  an'  the 
general,  knows,'  answered  the. woman.  'Didn't 
you  never  see  him?  He's  a  little  man,  has  black 
hair  and  eyes,  wears  no  whiskers,  and  allers 
rides  a  little  gray  horse.     He's  smart,  I  tell  ycr.' 

"After  talking  awhile  longer  with  the  woman 
without  learning  any  thing  further,  I  mounted 
my  horse  and  returned  to  camp.  While  I  was 
eating  my  supper,  I  called  to  mind  all  the  scouts 
with  whom  I  was  acquainted,  but  not  one  of 
them  answered  to  the  description  of  Bob  Cole. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       189 

There  was  one  man  in  camp,  however,  who  did 
answer  the  description,  and  that  was  the  gen- 
eral's hostler.  Could  it  be  possible  that  he  was 
the  spy? 

"At  this  moment  an  orderly  entered  to  tell  me 

that  I  was  wanted  at  head-quarters.     I  followed 

him  to  the  general's  tent,  received  my  orders,  and 

began  to  get  ready  for  the  journey.    As  I  came 

out  of  the  tent  I  met  the  hostler,  who  inquired : 

"  'Are  you  off  again  to-night,  Bill?' 

"I  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  he  continued: 

"  'Well,    good    luck    to    you.     Don't    let    the 

rebs  get  hold  of  you.' 

"I  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  out  of  the 
camp,  fully  satisfied  that  if  he  was  the  spy  I 
would  soon  know  it. 

"The  night  was  very  dark,  but  I  had  traveled 
the  road  often  enough  to  be  well  acquainted 
with  it,  and  in  an  hour  after  I  left  our  camp, 
I  had  passed  the  rebel  sentries,  and  was  fairly 
within  their  lines.  As  I  was  riding  quietly  along, 
keeping  a  good  look-out  on  all  sides,  and  pausing 
now  and  then  to  listen,  I  suddenly  heard  the 


190       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

clatter  of  horses'  hoofs  behind  me,  and  some 
one  called  out,  in  a  low  voice: 

'''Bill!     Bill  Striker!' 

"I  instantly  stopped,  and  a  moment  after- 
ward up  galloped  the  hostler. 

"  'Don't  make  so  nmch  noise,  Jim,'  said  I, 
hastily.  'But  what  on  earth  brings  you  here? 
Where  are  you  going?' 

"'I'm  after  you,'  he  replied.  'The  general 
told  me  to  overtake  you,  and  say  that  he  had 
neglected  to  give  you  some  very  important  orders.' 

"All  this  while  he  had  been  coming  nearer 
and  nearer  to  me,  and  having  now  got  within 
reach,  he  suddenly  seized  my  bridle,  and  pre- 
senting a  revolver,  exclaimed: 

"  '  Bill  Striker,  your  scouting  is  up  now!  You're 
my  prisoner!' 

"If  he  imagined  that  he  had  taken  me  by  sur- 
prise he  was  very  much  mistaken.  In  an  instant 
I  had  knocked  aside  the  revolver,  which  exploded, 
sending  the  ball  harmlessly  past  my  head,  and 
in  a  moment  more  I  had  wrested  the  weapon 
from   him.    Then,    almost   before   he   had   time 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI        191 

to  think  twice,  I  lifted  him  off  his  horse  and 
laid  him  across  my  saddle,  in  front  of  me,  as 
if  he  had  been  a  bag  of  corn.  He  was  very  strong, 
as  wiry  as  an  eel,  and  struggled  most  desperately; 
but  I  had  him  at  disadvantage,  and  when  I  thought 
of  Sam,  who  was  now  a  prisoner  tlirough  the 
treachery  of  this  fellow,  I  felt  as  if  I  had  the 
strength  of  ten  men.  By  the  time  I  had  fairly 
got  hold  of  him,  I  was  tearing  down  the  road  to- 
ward our  lines,  while  his  own  horse  had  gone 
on  toward  the  rebel  camp.  My  only  danger 
was  in  being  cut  off  by  the  pickets.  These  passed, 
I  would  be  safe,  for  I  had  no  fears  of  being  over- 
taken. There  was  no  time  to  avoid  them  in 
jumping  over  fences  and  running  through  fields, 
for  I  knew  that  the  report  of  the  revolver  had 
been  heard,  and  that,  unless  I  could  reach  our 
lines  in  a  very  few  moments,  Bob  Cole  would 
again  be  a  free  man  and  I  would  be  the  prisoner. 
I  used  my  spurs  freely,  and  my  horse,  which 
seemed  to  understand  that  he  was  called  upon 
to  make  use  of  his  best  speed,  carried  us  over 
the  ground  at  a  tremendous  rate.    In  a  short 


192       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

time  I  came  within  sight  of  a  fire  burning  by 
the  side  of  the  road.  I  heard  a  loud  command 
to  halt,  followed  by  the  noise  of  a  bullet  as  it 
whistled  by  my  head,  and  the  pickets  were  passed 
in  safety.  Half  an  hour  afterward  I  dismounted 
in  front  of  the  general's  tent,  and  delivered  up 
my  prisoner.  You  can't  imagine  how  surprised 
our  boys  w^ere  to  learn  that  we  had  a  rebel  spy 
in  our  camp  so  long  without  knowing  it.  Bob 
Cole  had  played  his  cards  remarkably  well,  and 
if  Sam  and  I  had  not  stopped  at  that  house  to 
get  out  of  the  rain,  there's  no  knowing  how 
much  longer  he  would  have  been  at  liberty.  But 
he  was  safe  in  the  guard-house  at  last,  and  I 
must  confess  that  I  breathed  more  freely.  If 
he  was  the  only  rebel  who  knew  me,  there  was 
now  no  danger  of  running  into  a  trap  laid  for 
my  capture.  My  first  hard  work  must  be  to 
attempt  Sam's  release.  I  knew  it  would  be 
worse  than  useless  to  return  to  the  rebel  camp 
that  night,  for  it  had  been  aroused,  and  my  own 
chances  of  escape  would  be  none  of  the  surest; 
so  I  let  two  days  pass  before  setting  out,  and 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       193 

then  I  did  not  follow  my  usual  course,  but  took 
a  roundabout  way  to  get  behind  their  camp, 
where  I  would  not  run  so  much  risk  of  meeting 
the  pickets. 

*'I  reached  the  lines  in  safety,  and  as  I  was 
riding  along  by  the  side  of  the  road,  keeping 
my  horse  on  the  grass,  to  make  as  little  noise 
as  possible,  I  heard  horsemen  approaching,  and 
presently  up  galloped  a  party  of  rebels.  I  thought 
they  would  pass  without  discovering  me,  but 
was  mistaken,  for  one  of  them  drew  in  his  horse 
and  exclaimed — 

"  *Wal,  ef  here  an't  another/  and  I  was  speed- 
ily surroimded,  and  commanded  to  'hand  over 
my  we 'pons.' 

"  'Look  here,  boys,'  said  I,  'I've  got  a  pass,' 
and  I  made  a  motion  to  produce  it. 

"  '  Oh,  we  don't  want  to  see  your  pass,'  said 
the  corporal  who  had  charge  of  the  squad;  'we've 
seed  a  dozen  to-night  that  wasn't  no  'count. 
You  must  go  to  the  guard-house,  'cause  you 
know  it's  the  general's  orders  that  nobody  goes 
out  o'  camp.' 


194       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"This  showed  me  that  I  was  not  suspected 
of  being  a  Federal,  but  was  arrested  as  one  of 
their  own  men  who  was  endeavoring  to  get  out 
of  the  hnes. 

"  'I  know  it's  mighty  hard,'  continued  the 
corporal,  '  not  to  let  a  feller  go  home,  when  p'rhaps 
it  an't  five  miles  off;  but  orders  is  orders,  you 
know.  Howsomever,  you  wont  hev  no  trouble 
to  get  out  o'  the  guard-house,  'cause— by  gum! 
ef  here  an't  some  more,'  and,  as  he  spoke,  he 
left  me,  and  rode  up  to  three  men  who  were  crouch- 
ing in  the  fence-corner  by  the  roadside.  These 
were  speedily  secured,  and  we  went  on  our  way 
toward  the  guard-house.  The  rebel  army,  it 
appeared,  was  encamped  in  a  part  of  the  country 
where  a  number  of  regiments  had  been  raised, 
and  the  men,  anxious  to  see  home  and  friends 
once  more,  were  deserting  by  hundreds — 'taking 
French,'  as  we  call  it.  As  we  rode  along,  I  learned 
something,  from  the  conversation  of  my  captors, 
that  made  me  wish  I  had  never  taken  Bob  Cole 
prisoner,  and  that  was,  that  Sam  had  died  from 
the  effects  of  the  wound  he  had  received  while 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       195 

resisting  the  rebel.  This  was,  perhaps,  better 
than  being  hung,  but  how  I  wished  I  had  known 
it  before  taking  the  spy  to  camp.  I  had  put 
myself  in  danger  without  being  able  to  be  of 
any  assistance  to  Sam,  and  I  now  set  my  wits 
to  work  to  conjure  up  some  plan  for  escape. 

"Finally,  after  capturing  one  more  rebel  who 
was  about  to  'take  French,'  we  reached  the 
guard-house,  which  was  a  rickety  old  barn.  As 
we  entered  the  door,  the  rebels,  with  whom 
the  house  was  filled,  greeted  us  with  loud  yells, 
and  slapped  us  on  our  backs,  as  though  they 
looked  upon  our  capture  as  a  most  excellent 
joke.  The  majority  of  our  fellow-prisoners  were 
confined  for  attempting  to  leave  the  camp  to 
visit  their  friends;  but  putting  them  in  the  guard- 
house was  only  a  farce,  for  I  had  not  been  in  the 
room  fifteen  minutes  before  I  saw  three  men 
make  their  escape  through  a  window.  I  deter- 
mined to  try  the  same  thing;  so,  after  waiting 
a  few  moments,  to  see  that  they  were  not  brought 
back,  I  walked  up  to  the  window  and  looked 
out.    A  sentinel  was  standing  at  the  corner  of 


196       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

the  building,  but  as  soon  as  he  saw  me  he  shoul- 
dered his  gun  and  walked  off,  whistling.  It  was 
plain  that  he  had  no  objections  to  my  making 
my  escape  if  I  wished  to  do  so,  and,  as  soon  as 
he  was  out  of  sight,  I  crawled  out  of  the  window, 
dropped  to  the  ground,  and  walked  off  with  an 
appearance  of  unconcern  I  was  very  far  from 
feeling. 

"I  had  lost  my  horse,  but  that  did  not  trouble 
me,  for  the  camp  was  not  far  off,  and  I  had  no 
fears  of  pursuit.  I  had  scarcely  got  safely  out 
of  their  lines,  however,  before  I  became  aware 
that  I  was  followed.  I  turned  and  saw  a  party 
of  men,  who,  keeping  their  horses  on  the  grass 
at  the  side  of  the  road,  had  succeeded  in  getting 
within  pistol-shot  before  I  heard  them.  As  I 
sprang  over  a  fence  I  heard  my  name  pronounced, 
followed  by  the  report  of  several  revolvers  and 
carbines,  that  sent  the  bullets  about  me  altogether 
too  close  for  comfort. 

"Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  I  laid  about 
in  the  woods  for  a  month,  making  a  raid  now 
and  then  on  a  chicken-roost,  to  supply  my  com- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOVy'ER  MISSISSIPPI.       197 

missary  department;  but  all  this  while  the  reb- 
els followed  me  like  blood-hounds.  I  had  gone 
miles  out  of  my  way— in  fact,  I  did  not  know 
where  I  was,  until  one  day  I  fell  in  with  a  party 
of  guerrillas.  I  told  them  I  was  a  reb  on  French 
leave,  and  on  my  way  to  visit  my  friends,  who 
lived  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  From 
them  I  learned  that  the  Mississippi  was  sixty 
miles  distant,  and  was  also  informed  that  there 
was  a  gunboat  at  Gaines's  Landing,  and  was 
advised  to  keep  out  of  her  way.  This  was  the 
best  news  I  had  heard  in  a  long  time,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  make  the  best  of  my  way  here.  I 
came  off  to  the  vessel  in  the  night,  because  I 
did  not  know  but  there  might  be  rebels  on  the 
watch,  and  as  I  was  entirely  unarmed,  I  did  not 
want  to  run  any  risks.  Since  leaving  our  camp, 
I  have  traveled  nearly  two  hundred  miles  with- 
out a  weapon  of  any  kind,  not  even  a  pocket- 
knife  ;  and  if  either  of  you  have  ever  been  a  prisoner, 
you  can  easily  imagine  that  I  am  overjoyed  to 
find  myself  safe  among  friends  once  more.  And 
now,  captain,"  continued  the  scout,  "I  have  a 


198       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

proposition  to  make  you.  The  leader  of  these 
guerrillas  whom  I  met  back  in  the  country  makes 
his  head-quarters  in  a  deserted  plantation-house 
about  forty  miles  from  the  river.  He  never  has 
more  than  two  or  three  men  with  him,  the  others 
being  scattered  over  the  country,  stealing  horses 
from  both  rebels  and  Union  people.  Now,  I 
would  like  to  help  capture  him  and  break  up 
his  band  of  guerrillas,  for  he's  a  perfect  demon, 
and  never  takes  any  prisoners.  There  is  a  house 
about  ten  miles  from  here  where  we  can  get  all 
the  horses  we  need,  and  three  or  four  men  could 
do  the  job  nicely.  This  guerrilla's  brother  was 
formerly  the  captain  of  the  band,  but  he  was 
killed  by  a  party  of  rebels,  just  as  he  was  about 
to  hang  a  couple  of  Union  prisoners  he  had  taken 
— gunboat  men,  I  believe.  His  name  is  Thome, 
and — what's  the  matter,  captain?" 

Frank  had  started  upon  hearing  the  name 
of  the  guerrilla  chief  at  whose  hands  he  and 
the  mate  had  so  nearly  suffered  death,  and  from 
which  they  were  rescued  by  the  Wild-cats,  and 
just  as  he  finished  relating  the  story  of  the  "Close 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       199 

Shave,"  the  orderly  entered  the  cabin  and  an- 
nounced the  dispatch-boat  "General  Lyon"  ap- 
proaching. 


200       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A   SCOUTING   PARTY. 

Frank,  of  course,  could  not  agree  to  the  scout's 
proposition  without  first  obtaining  permission  of 
either  the  admiral  or  Captain  Wilson — the  com- 
mander of  the  division  to  which  the  Boxer  be- 
longed. He  did  not  know  where  to  go  to  find 
the  former,  and  besides,  the  latter  had  given 
him  strict  orders  not  to  leave  his  station  until 
relieved  by  some  other  vessel,  and  to  allow  no 
one  to  go  ashore.  The  very  nature  of  these 
orders  put  it  out  of  his  power  to  obtain  liberty 
to  carry  out  the  proposed  expedition.  He  went 
to  bed  pondering  upon  what  the  major  had  told 
him,  and  fell  asleep  without  being  able  to  con- 
jure up  any  plan  by  which  the  capture  of  the 
rebel  might  be  effected. 

The  next  morning,  while  at  breakfast,  the 
orderly  entered  the  cabin  and  reported  a  gun- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       201 

boat  approaching.  Frank  at  once  went  on  deck, 
and  when  he  had  made  out  her  signals,  he  found, 
to  his  dehght,  that  it  was  the  Manhattan,  the 
flagship  of  the  division  to  which  the  Boxer  be- 
longed. After  ordering  the  officer  of  the  deck 
to  have  the  gig  called  away,  Frank  ran  into  the 
cabin,  put  on  his  side-arms,  and,  in  company 
with  the  major,  put  off  to  the  iron-clad. 

Captain  Wilson  received  them  cordially,  lis- 
tened with  a  good  deal  of  interest  to  the  scout's 
plan  for  the  capture  of  the  guerrilla,  and  finally 
gave  Frank  permission  to  "do  as  he  pleased 
in  the  matter,"  adding,  "You  have  never  yet 
failed  in  an  undertaking  of  this  kind,  and  I  shall 
fully  expect  you  to  succeed  in  the  present  in- 
stance. I  will  be  here  again  in  about  a  week, 
and  you  can  turn  the  prisoner  over  to  me." 
The  confident  manner  in  which  the  captain  spoke 
of  his  success,  made  Frank  more  determined 
than  ever  to  capture  the  guerrilla,  if  within  the 
bounds  of  possibility.  After  giving  a  short  re- 
port of  the  state  of  affairs  on  his  station,  he  re- 
turned to  the  Boxer,  highly  delighted  with  the 


202       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

result  of  the  interview.  Archie  was  no  less 
pleased,  for,  although  he  had  not  said  a  word 
about  accompanying  his  cousin,  he  looked  upon 
it  as  a  settled  thing  that  he  was  to  be  one  of 
the  expedition.  Frank,  who  knew  the  danger 
of  the  undertaking,  and  was  anxious  to  keep 
Archie  out  of  harm's  way,  would  have  preferred 
to  leave  him  behind ;  but,  as  the  latter  had  shown, 
in  a  remarkable  manner,  that  he  was  equal  to 
any  emergency,  the  young  commander  could  not 
deny  him  on  the  ground  that  he  had  never  "smelt 
powder." 

The  major  advised  Frank  to  take  at  least 
one  more  man;  and  this  one  was  soon  forthcoming 
in  the  shape  of  Tom,  the  coxswain  of  the  first 
cutter,  the  same  who  had  been  left  in  charge 
of  the  boat  on  the  night  that  Frank  and  Archie 
had  broken  up  the  head-quarters  of  the  "Louisi- 
ana Wild-cats."  He  was  at  once  summoned  into 
the  cabin,  and  after  the  object  of  the  proposed 
expedition  had  been  explained  to  him,  Frank 
inquired : 

"Now,  Tom,  do  you  want  to  go  with  us?" 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       203 

"Douse  my  to'-gallant  top-lights!  yes,  sir,"  he 
repHed,  eagerly.  "But,  Cap'n  Nelson,  I  wouldn't 
like  to  be  left  behind,  sir,  when  it  comes  to  the 
dangerous  part  of  the  business,  like  I  was  on  the 
night  when  the  paymaster  burned  that  house. 
I  want  to  go  with  you  to  the  end,  sir,  an'  if  I 
ever  show  the  white  feather,  then  may  I  be  keel- 
hauled!" 

Frank  assured  him  that  he  would  be  allowed 
to  accompany  them  wherever  they  went,  and 
the  coxswain  departed  satisfied. 

When  night  came,  the  gig  was  called  away, 
and  Frank,  accompanied  by  the  major,  Ai-chie, 
and  the  coxswain,  was  set  on  shore.  When 
the  boat  had  returned  to  the  vessel,  which  was 
now  in  command  of  the  executive  officer,  the 
major  led  his  companions  through  the  woods 
toward  the  place  where  the  horses  were  to  be 
obtained.  They  traveled  in  silence,  following  the 
motions  of  their  guide,  who  walked  along  as  if 
he  well  understood  what  he  was  about.  The 
expedition  certainly  promised  better  than  any 
in   which   Frank   had   before   engaged.    It   was 


204       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

led  by  a  man  accustomed  to  scenes  of  danger, 
and  was  altogether  composed  of  those  whose 
courage  and  determination  had,  more  than  once, 
been  thoroughly  tested.  They  were  all  well 
armed,  and,  in  addition  to  a  brace  of  revolvers, 
the  coxswain  carried  a  heavy  saber;  for,  as  he 
remarked,  he  might  be  called  upon  to  "repel 
boarders,"  and  he  wanted  some  weapon  that 
he  knew  how  to  use. 

After  three  or  four  hours'  walk  through  the 
woods  they  came  to  a  fence,  where  the  major 
paused.  Before  them  was  a  wide  field,  in  which 
stood  a  plantation-house.  Bright  lights  gleamed 
in  the  windows,  and  the  major  turned  to  his 
companions  and  said: 

"There  are  more  people  in  the  house  than 
there  were  last  night." 

They  all  listened  intently,  and  could  hear  an 
indistinct  murmur  of  voices,  and  now  and  then 
the  tramping  of  horses  in  the  road  that  ran  in 
front  of  the  house. 

"There  are  some  rebel  soldiers  in  there,"  con- 
tinued the  major,  and  we  can  now  get  our  horses 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       205 

without    any    difficulty,    already    saddled    and 
bridled." 

As  he  spoke,  he  led  the  way  along  the  fence 
toward  the  road,  and  they  presently  came  in 
sight  of  haK  a  dozen  horses  which  were  tied  in 
front  of  the  house.  No  orders  were  necessary, 
for  each  one  knew  what  was  required  of  him.  In 
a  few  moments  they  had  quietly  secured  their 
horses,  and  were  riding  noiselessly  down  the 
road.  As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight  of  the 
house,  they  began  to  make  an  examination  of 
their  prizes,  and  found  that  the  rebels,  who, 
no  doubt,  had  little  dreamed  that  any  one  would 
disturb  them  there,  had  left  their  sabers  attached 
to  their  saddles,  and  their  pistols  in  their  holsters. 
Frank  and  Archie  also  found  themselves  possessed, 
the  former  of  a  fine  double-barrel  shot-gun,  loaded 
with  buck-shot,  and  the  latter  of  a  heavy  car- 
bine; and  the  ammunition  for  each  of  these 
weapons  had  been  left  on  the  saddles.  The 
horses  were  splendid  animals,  evidently  the  fruits 
of  a  raid  upon  some  well-stocked  barn-yard, 
for  they  appeared  fresh  and  vigorous,  and  had 


20G       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

undoubtedly  been  accustomed  to  the  best  of  care. 
As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  hearing  of  the  people 
in  the  house,  they  put  their  horses  into  a  gallop 
and  as  the  road  was  excellent,  they  made  rapid 
headway.  For  hour  after  hour  they  kept  on, 
stopping  only  now  and  then  to  water  their  horses. 
Just  before  daylight  the  major,  who  had  scarcely 
spoken  during  the  whole  ride,  suddenly  came  to 
a  halt.  As  his  companions  gathered  about  him, 
he  said,  almost  in  a  whisper: 

"Now,  boys,  we  are  at  our  journey's  end. 
There's  the  house!"  and  as  he  spoke,  he  pointed 
to  a  large  building  just  ahead  of  them.  "My 
advice,  captain,"  he  continued,  turning  to  Frank, 
"would  be  to  ride  carefully  up  in  front  of  the 
house,  hitch  our  horses — for  of  course,  we  must 
not  lose  them — and  then  burst  open  the  door 
and  gobble  up  the  guerrilla  before  he  has  time 
to  get  out  of  bed." 

This  plan  was  adopted.  Riding  noiselessly  up 
to  the  gate,  they  dismounted,  and  after  tying 
their  horses,  they  drew  their  sabers  (as  it  was 
their  intention  to  rely  entirely  upon  the  sight 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       207 

of  these  weapons  to  bring  the  guerrilla  to  terms). 
Then  they  entered  the  yard,  and  ascended  the 
steps  that  led  on  to  a  wide  portico.  Here  the 
major,  who  was  in  advance,  paused  a  moment, 
to  see  that  his  companions  were  close  behind 
him,  and  then  placmg  his  shoulder  against  the 
door,  with  one  strong  push,  forced  it  open.  They 
all  sprang  into  the  house,  Frank  and  Archie 
being  close  beside  the  major,  and  found  them- 
selves, to  their  utter  astonishment,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  dozen  guerrillas,  who  started  from 
their  blankets  in  alarm.  So  great  was  their 
surprise,  that  both  parties  for  an  instant  stood 
gazing  at  each  other,  as  if  suddenly  deprived 
of  the  power  of  action. 

"Sink  my  tarry  wig,  Cap'n  Nelson,  but  here's 
a  scrape  for  honest  men  to  be  in!"  exclaimed 
the  coxswain,  who  had  kept  as  close  to  his  officer 
as  possible.    ''Here  is  a  scrape!" 

Their  position  was  not  an  enviable  one.  There 
they  were,  forty  miles  from  their  vessel,  almost 
in  the  heart  of  an  enemy's  country,  and  con- 
fronted by  three  times  their  number  of  armed 


208       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

rebels,  who,  no  doubt,  could  be  speedily  rein- 
forced. It  was  too  late  to  retreat,  even  had  they 
felt  disposed  to  do  so.  But  the  idea  never  once 
entered  their  heads.  So  intent  were  they  upon 
the  capture  of  the  guerrilla  chief,  that  they  thought 
of  nothing  else,  and  they  were  perfectly  well 
aware  that  the  only  way  to  get  out  of  the  house 
was  to   fight   their  way  through   their  enemies. 

The  period  of  inaction  lasted  only  for  an  in- 
stant; then  a  few  of  the  rebels,  springing  to  their 
feet,  retreated  percipitately  through  the  back 
door;  but  the  others,  recovering  from  their 
surprise,  and  comprehending  the  nature  of  the 
attack,  bravely  stood  their  ground,  and  one  tall 
fellow  sprang  forward  and  struck  savagely  at 
the  major  with  his  sword.  But  the  scout  was 
on  the  alert,  receiving  the  blow  upon  his  own 
saber,  and  before  the  rebel  had  time  to  renew 
his  attack,  a  shot  from  a  revolver  stretched  him 
lifeless  on  the  floor. 

This  opened  the  fight.  The  example  of  the 
rebel  was  quickly  followed  by  his  comrades,  who, 
depending  wholly  upon  their  sabers,  rushed  upon 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       209 

the  officers  with  the  utmost  fury.  But  they 
were  bravely  met.  The  latter  stubbornly  held 
their  ground,  and  parrying  the  blows  directed 
at  them,  used  their  revolvers  with  deadly  effect. 
At  this  moment  a  door  at  the  further  end  of  the 
hall  suddenly  opened,  and  a  man  sprang  out, 
carrying  a  short,  heavy  sword. 

"Give  it  to  'em,  lads!"  he  shouted,  hurrying 
forward  to  join  in  the  fight.  "Give  it  to  'em. 
No  quarter  to  the  Yankees!" 

This  was  the  guerrilla  chief,  and  the  order  he 
had  just  given  told  Frank  and  his  companions, 
in  plain  language,  that  if  overpowered,  no  mercy 
would  be  shown  them. 

The  rebels,  encouraged  by  the  voice  of  their 
leader,  redoubled  the  fury  of  their  attacks,  and 
the  officers  were  driven  to  the  wall.  The  cox- 
swain, on  entering,  had  closed  the  door  to  pre- 
vent the  escape  of  the  guerrilla,  and  thus  their 
retreat  was  cut  off;  but  they  had  the  advantage 
of  position,  for  the  rebels,  unable  to  get  behind 
them,  must  make  their  attacks  in  front.  Al- 
ready had  their  ranks  been  thinned  by  the  fire 


210       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

of  the  revolvers,  but  those  who  had  at  first  re- 
treated now  began  to  return  and  take  the  places 
of  those  who  had  been  shot  down.  At  last  Frank's 
revolver  was  empty.  He  had  another  in  his 
pocket,  but  could  not  get  an  opportunity  to 
draw  it.  He  must  now  depend  upon  his  saber. 
Grasping  it  with  both  hands,  he  bravely  met 
the  attack  of  the  leader  of  the  guerrillas,  who 
had  succeeded  in  working  his  way  in  front  of 
him.  The  latter's  heavy  sword  descended  with 
terrible  force.  Frank's  guard  was  broken  down, 
and  he  was  sent  reeling  to  the  floor.  The  rebel 
again  raised  his  sword,  and,  as  Frank  was  entirely 
unarmed,  he  gave  himseK  up  for  lost.  One 
thought  of  home,  of  his  mother  and  sister,  flashed 
through  his  mind,  and  then  he  saw  the  bright 
blade  swiftly  descending.  It  was  met,  however, 
by  the  coxswain,  who  seeing  the  danger  of  his 
officer,  interposed  his  own  sword,  and  turned 
the  rebel's  weapon  aside.  Frank  was  on  his  feet 
again  in  an  instant,  and  seeing  a  musket,  with 
a  bayonet  attached,  standing  in  the  corner,  he 
seized  it  with  a  shout  of  joy.    If  there  was  any 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      211 

thing  he  thoroughly  understood,  it  was  the  bay- 
onet-exercise. He  remembered  that  the  knowl- 
edge of  it  had  once  saved  his  life,  and  he  had 
never  let  an  opportunity  to  perfect  himself  in 
it  pass  unimproved.  He  now  felt  safe;  and 
seeing  the  coxswain  gradually  retreating  before 
the  furious  attacks  of  the  guerrilla  chief,  he  sprang 
forward,  and  with  one  blow  sent  the  sword  fly- 
ing from  his  hand  and  bore  him  to  the  floor. 
This  move  was  seconded  by  Archie,  who  sprang 
to  his  cousin's  side  with  a  revolver  in  each  hand, 
firing  right  and  left  among  the  rebels,  who,  dis- 
mayed at  the  fall  of  their  leader,  began  to  re- 
treat. But  so  closely  were  they  followed,  that 
escape  was  impossible.  The  chief,  after  trying 
in  vain  to  regain  his  feet,  and  seeing  the  bayonet 
pointed  straight  at  his  breast,  shouted  most 
lustily  for  quarter, 

"Surrender!"  shouted  the  major,  "Throw 
down  your  arms!" 

The  rebels  having  lost  more  than  half  of  their 
number,  and  knowing  the  deadly  effects  of  the 


212       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

revolvers  which  were  aimed  at  their  heads,  gladly 
complied,  and  the  fight  was  at  an  end. 

Although  Frank  and  his  companions  had  heard 
the  order,  "No  quarter  to  the  Yankees!"  the 
thought  of  taking  vengeance  upon  those  who, 
had  they  been  the  victors,  would  have  shown 
no  mercy,  never  once  entered  their  heads — they 
were  more  humane. 

With  the  surrender  of  the  rebels  the  object 
of  the  expedition  had  been  accomplished — the 
guerrilla  chief  was  their  prisoner! 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       213 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

TOM   THE    COXSWAIN. 

Now  that  the  excitement  was  over,  and  Frank 
began  to  think  more  calmly,  he  fomid  that  he 
was  wounded.  The  blow  which  had  broken  dowTi 
his  guard  had  spent  its  force  on  his  head,  which 
was  bleeding  profusely  from  a  long,  ragged  cut. 
His  face  and  clothing  were  covered  with  blood, 
but  the  wound  had  caused  him  no  inconvenience. 
After  Archie  had  bandaged  it  with  his  hand- 
kerchief, Frank  began  to  look  about  him.  The 
force  of  the  rebels  had  originally  consisted  of 
fifteen  men,  of  whom  eight  were  lying,  either 
dead  or  wounded,  upon  the  floor.  He  could 
scarcely  believe  his  eyes,  and  wondered  how  he 
and  his  companions  had  ever  secured  a  victory 
against  such  heavy  odds.  Had  the  rebels,  instead 
of  relying  upon  their  sabers  and  the  superiority 
of  their  numbers,  made  use  of  the  firearms  that 


214       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI 

during  the  figlit  had  become  scattered  about  the 
hall,  the  result  would  have  been  far  different. 
The  fight,  although  a  most  severe  one  while  it 
lasted,  was  not  of  more  than  five  minutes'  dura- 
tion, and  during  that  time  eight  rebels  had  been 
disabled,  and  six  captured  by  four  determined 
men;  one  only  had  escaped.  As  Archie  after- 
ward said,  in  a  letter  to  his  father,  "It  was  the 
biggest  little  .fight"  he  was  ever  engaged  in. 

"Now,  boys,"  Baid  the  major,  as  soon  as  he 
had  satisfied  himself  that  the  remaining  rebels 
were  disarmed,  "we've  no  time  to  lose.  Pay- 
master, you  and  the  coxswain  station  yourselves 
in  those  doors,  and  keep  a  good  look-out,  to 
prevent  surprise.  Captain,  we  will  secure  these 
prisoners." 

One  of  the  blankets  that  lay  on  the  floor  was 
speedily  cut  into  strips,  and  with  these  the  rebels, 
one  after  the  other,  were  bound  hand  and  foot. 
While  this  was  going  on,  the  leader  of  the  guer- 
rillas stood  leaning  against  the  wall,  no  doubt 
looking  into  the  future,  and  pondering  upon 
the    punishment    which,    according    to    his    own 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       215 

barbarous  mode  of  warfare,  he  was  certain  would 
be  meted  out  to  him.  He  well  knew  what  course 
he  would  have  pursued,  had  he  been  the  victor 
instead  of  the  prisoner,  and,  judging  his  captors 
by  himself,  he  fully  expected  a  speedy  and  ter- 
rible vengeance  to  be  taken  upon  him.  As  these 
thoughts  passed  through  his  mind,  he  deter- 
mined to  make  one  bold  effort  at  escape.  Hastily 
glancing  toward  the  door,  where  Archie  stood 
looking  up  and  down  the  road,  he  suddenly  sprang 
forward,  and  giving  him  a  violent  push,  that 
sent  him  headlong  upon  the  portico,  he  jumped 
down  the  steps,  and  started  for  the  gate  at  the 
top  of  his  speed;  but  before  he  had  gone  half 
the  distance,  he  was  overtaken  by  the  coxswain 
and  thrown  to  the  ground.  The  sailor,  instead 
of  standing  in  the  door,  in  his  eagerness,  as  he 
expressed  it,  to  "ketch  the  first  glimpse  of  any 
guerrilla  craft  that  might  be  sailin'  about,"  had 
come  round  to  the  front  of  the  house  just  as  the 
rebel  had  made  his  attempt  to  escape.  Archie 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  ran  to  the  assistance  of 
the  coxswain,  and  by  the  time  Frank  and  the 


216       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

major  arrived,  the  rebel,  who  struggled  most 
desperately,  had  been  overpowered,  and  his  hands 
bound  behind  his  back.  In  a  few  moments  more 
the  prisoners  were  all  secured,  and,  after  a  horse 
had  been  caught  and  saddled,  the  guerrilla  was 
placed  upon  it,  his  hands  still  bound,  and  the 
coxswain  was  ordered  to  take  charge  of  him. 
The  dead  and  wounded,  together  with  the  other 
prisoners,  were  left  in  the  house,  the  doors  of 
which  were  closed  and  fastened.  They  would, 
no  doubt,  soon  be  relieved  by  their  friends,  for 
the  rebel  who  had  escaped  would,  of  course, 
procure  assistance  as  soon  as  possible. 

As  soon  as  the  major  had  satisfied  himself  that 
every  thing  was  ready  for  the  start,  he  mounted 
his  horse  and  led  the  way  down  the  road.  It 
was  now  broad  daylight,  and  their  first  thought 
was  to  place  a  safe  distance  between  themselves 
and  the  scene  of  the  fight,  and  then  halt  in  the 
woods  until  night,  when  they  would  return  to 
the  vessel.  But  if  this  plan  was  adopted,  it 
would  give  the  guerrillas,  who,  of  course,  would 
hasten  to  the  rescue  of  their  leader,  time  to  get 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       217 

between  them  and  the  river,  in  which  case  their 
capture  was  certain.  Frank,  who  behevecl  that 
every  instant  of  time  was  valuable,  and  who 
delighted  in  dashing  exploits,  was  in  favor  of 
returning  at  once  to  the  vessel.  Their  horses 
were  comparatively  fresh,  and,  if  they  rode  rapidly, 
they  could  make  good  their  retreat  before  a  suffi- 
cient force  could  be  collected  to  pursue  them.  The 
major  and  Frank  talked  over  these  different 
plans  as  they  rode  along  side  by  side,  and  the 
latter  course  was  finally  adopted.  It  was  at 
once  communicated  to  the  others,  and  they  pushed 
forward  with  all  possible  speed.  Frank  and  the 
major  rode  in  front,  followed  by  the  coxswain, 
who  held  fast  to  the  horse  which  their  prisoner 
rode,  and  Archie  brought  up  the  rear.  In  this 
manner  they  dashed  along,  passing  several  plan- 
tation-houses, whose  inmates  ran  to  the  doors 
and  gazed  at  them  in  astonishment.  Half  a 
dozen  miles  were  passed  over  in  this  way  without 
stopping,  except  to  water  their  horses,  and  with- 
out seeing  a  single  armed  rebel,  and  Frank  began 
to  hope  that  the  dangerous  part  of  the  under- 


21 S       FEAXK  CX  ZHI  LOWEB  MISSISSIPPI. 

taking  -was  psss&i.    If  arracked  by  a  aiperior 

force,  tbe  eliances  wei^  that  they  would  not  only 
lose  their  priscmer,  whose  capnue  had  been  euected 
in  so  gallant  a  manner,  but  also  their  own  liberty, 
and  th-  "r  "mt  ce  the  treatn-~T  :hey  would 
recervt.  .  ^-^- -g  by  the  order  :Jir  ^ifr-iHa  chief 
had  given  his  men  a:  the  f^r^rr— _-  ------  r.f  i^ 

greatest  exernons  to  effect  their  escat'^.  T^rV 
had  Tr-         "    ""    "r  pistols,  the  effective  use  of 

"which  ___   ^  ,    -_  theni  a  victorv  c^er  •-'—  -r- 

camed   tie    shcT-^ri^  >   whidi   they 

had  lOinnd  atta-che^i  to  the  - .  :  "  leir  horses, 

rea^iy  for  instazit  -^se. 

TLe  rapid  f:  -  ■  -  -\-j  were  traYeling 
haii.  at  the  e^^  -  —  _  _:.  pm  half  a  dozen 
miles  nioie  between  tLem  Bud  the  house  wlaere 
the  zgh.1  ia-i  taken  p'lace,  and  they  began  to 
bope  that,  if  they  ~ere  followed  at  all.,  they  "^ere 
leaTing  the  enemy  behini.  At  length.  "::.-"  '::-ie 
to  a  tl::"  ~-  ~  '':/  -  '  ::-  -':  ■;::1.  i  -i^p 
ravicte.   ._      ._  i   .:      ..    ._._"  eorered 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       219 

with  trees  and  bushes.  They  dashed  along,  their 
horses'  hoofs  ringing  loud  and  clear  on  the  hard 
road,  but  as  they  came  suddenly  around  a  bend, 
almost  before  they  were  aware  of  it,  they  had 
run  into  the  very  midst  of  a  small  band  of  rebels, 
who  were  traveling  as  rapidly  as  themselves. 
They  were  not  entirely  unprepared  for  this  en- 
counter. Although  they  had  hoped  that  they 
might  be  able  to  avoid  it,  they  had  held  them- 
selves in  readiness  for  it,  while  the  rebels,  beilig 
taken  by  surprise,  scattered  in  every  direction, 
as  if  fully  expecting  to  see  a  whole  army  of  Fed- 
erals close  at  their  heels.  As  they  dashed  by, 
Frank  fired  both  barrels  of  his  gun,  which  emptied 
more  than  one  saddle,  and  the  others  had  just 
time  to  follow  with  a  volley  from  their  revolvers, 
when  another  bend  in  the  road  hid  them  from 
sight.  It  was  quickly  clone.  Before  the  rebels 
had  time  to  think  twice,  the  danger  was  over. 
The  enemy  had  met  them,  sent  three  of  their  num- 
ber to  the  ground,  and  disappeared  as  rapidly 
as  they  had  come.  But  the  rebels  did  not  re- 
main long  inactive.    They  quickly  satisfied  them- 


220       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

selves  that  those  who  had  just  passed  were  not 
the  advance-guard  of  a>n  army,  as  they  had  at 
first  supposed,  and  presently  the  officers  heard 
the  clatter  of  hoofs  behind  them,  accompanied 
with  loud  yells,  and  knew  that  the  guerrillas  had 
commenced  the  pursuit.  Although,  as  we  have 
said,  the  rebels  had  but  a  small  force,  they  still 
greatly  outnumbered  Frank's  party,  and  noth- 
ing but  the  most  rapid  flight  could  save  them. 
Frank's  only  fear  was  that  their  pursuers  would 
come  in  sight  of  them,  and  begin  to  pick  them 
off  at  long  range  with  their  carbines,  a  proceeding 
which  nothing  but  the  numerous  windings  in 
the  road  prevented. 

"If  we  do  not  get  into  a  scrimmage,  boys," 
said  the  major,  speaking  as  calmly  as  though 
he  was  at  that  very  moment  safe  in  the  cabin 
of  the  Boxer,  "we  must  stick  together,  if  pos- 
sible; but  if  they  come  on  us  in  a  heavy  force, 
we  must  separate  and  every  man  take  care  of 
himself." 

"Oh,  you  needn't  look  so  mighty  pleased, 
Johnny!"    exclaimed    the    coxswain,    addressing 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       221 

himself  to  his  prisoner,  who  now  looking  upon 
his  rescue  as  beyond  a  doubt,  could  not  repress 
a  smile  of  triumph.  "Shiver  my  tim'ers!  you're 
not  loose  yet.  You're  just  as  safe  here  as  though 
you  were  in  the  brig*  and  in  double  irons.  Look 
as  mad  as  you  please,  Johnny,"  he  continued, 
as  the  guerrilla  scowled  savagely  upon  him,  "a. 
man  who  has  smelt  powder  in  a'most  every  bat- 
tle fought  on  the  Mississippi  River  an't  often 
skeered  by  looks." 

The  major  had,  several  times  during  the  retreat, 
cautioned  the  coxswain  to  keep  a  fast  hold  of  his 
prisoner,  and  not  to  allow  him  to  escape  under 
any  circumstances.  But  Frank,  who  knew  his 
man,  had  never  thought  the  caution  necessary. 
He  had  often  seen  the  sailor  in  action  on  board 
ship,  and  the  gallant  manner  in  which  he  had 
saved  his  officer's  life  during  the  fight  at  the  house, 
had  fully  satisfied  the  young  commander  that 
the  coxswain  was  not  the  man  to  shrink  from 


*The  brig  is  a  small  dark  apartment  in  the  hold  of  a 
vessel,  in  which  culprits  are  confined. 


222       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

his  duty  because  it  was  dangerous.  His  reply 
to  the  major  had  been: 

"If  this  Johnny  rebel  an't  safe  in  the  brig 
to-night,  sir,  then  Captain  Nelson  will  have  to 
make  a  new  cox'son  for  the  first  cutter,  an'  an- 
other cap'n  for  that  number  two  gun.  I'll  either 
take  him  safe  through,  or  I'll  never  hear  the 
bo'son  pipe  to  dinner  ag'in." 

All  this  while  they  had  been  tearing  along 
the  road  as  fast  as  their  horses  could  carry  them, 
but  rapidly  as  they  went,  the  sounds  of  pursuit 
grew  louder,  and  the  yells  fiercer  and  more  dis- 
tinct, showing  that  the  guerrillas  were  gaining 
on  them.  Suddenly  they  emerged  from  the 
woods,  and  found  before  them  a  long,  straight 
road,  with  broad  fields  on  each  side.  Before 
they  could  pass  this,  the  rebels  would  certainly 
come  in  sight,  and,  if  they  did  not  overtake  them, 
they  would  at  least  open  fire  on  them  with  their 
carbines. 

Frank  gradually  drew  in  his  horse  and  fell 
back  beside  his  cousin,    Archie  was  deadly  pale. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       223 

but  he  sat  firmly  on  his  horse  and  handled  his 
carbine  with  a  steady  hand. 

''Archie,"  said  he,  "you  and  I  must  cover  the 
retreat  of  the  others.  Don't  waste  your  ammu- 
nition now." 

They  had  accomplished  perhaps  a  quarter  of 
the  distance  across  the  road  when  the  foremost 
of  their  pursuers  came  in  sight.  In  an  instant 
Archie  turned  in  his  saddle,  and  leaving  his  horse 
to  pick  out  his  own  road,  he  raised  his  gun  to 
his  shoulder  and  fired.  A  moment  afterward  a 
riderless  horse  was  rearing  and  plunging  about 
among  the  rebels,  throwing  them  into  confusion. 
This  was  the  time  for  Frank,  and  he  discharged 
both  barrels  of  his  gun  in  quick  succession.  The 
buck-shot  must  have  done  terrible  execution, 
for  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  they  saw  the 
rebels  retreating  to  the  cover  of  the  bushes.  One, 
more  daring  than  the  rest,  lingered  a  moment, 
to  fire  his  carbine,  and  the  fugitives  heard  the 
bullet  sing  through  the  air  above  their  heads. 

Although  they  were  not  more  than  five  minutes 
crossing  the  road  and  entering  the  woods  on  the 


224       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

opposite  side,  it  seemed  an  age  to  them,  and  they 
had  scarcely  reached  the  cover  of  the  trees,  when 
the  rebels  again  coming  in  sight,  fired  a  scattering 
volley  after  them,  which  rattled  through  the 
trees  and  sent  a  shower  of  leaves  and  twigs  about 
them.  The  guerrillas  then  continued  the  pur- 
suit as  fiercely  as  ever,  every  time  they  came 
in  sight  firing  their  carbines,  which  Archie  an- 
swered with  effect;  but  they  wisely  kept  out 
of  range  of  the  buck-shot  in  Frank's  double- 
barrel. 

Hour  after  hour  the  chase  continued,  the  guer- 
rillas every  time  they  appeared  having  their 
ranks  thinned  by  Archie's  unerring  rifle,  until 
finally  the  fugitives  heard  a  sound  that  told 
them  in  plain  language  that  their  danger  was 
yet  by  no  means  passed.  A  whole  chorus  of 
hoarse  yells  arose  from  the  depths  of  the  woods, 
showing  that  their  pursuers  had  received  heavy 
reinforcements,  and  were  urging  forward  their 
horses  to  overtake  them.  But  the  river  was 
not  more  than  two  miles  distant,  and  as  the 
rebels   were  fully   a   quarter   of   a  mile   behind, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       225 

they  were  confident  they  would  yet  escape,  if 
their  horses  could  hold  out  fifteen  minutes  longer. 
For  some  time  past  this  had  been  their  only  fear. 
The  rapid  pace  was  telling  on  the  animals  severely, 
and  Frank's  horse  especially  began  to  show  signs 
of  distress,  the  young  commander  having  sev- 
eral times  been  obliged  to  use  the  point  of  his 
saber  to  compel  him  to  keep  pace  with  the  others. 
The  rebels  gained  rapidly,  and  presently,  just 
as  the  fugitives  emerged  from  the  woods,  in 
full  view  of  the  river,  they  could  hear  the  tramp- 
ing of  their  horses  behind  them.  Before  them 
was  a  clear  space  of  fully  a  mile  in  extent,  that 
must  be  crossed  before  they  reached  the  river, 
and  their  pursuers  might  overtake  and  capture 
them  within  sight  of  their  vessel.  Presently 
several  men  were  seen  running  about  on  the  deck 
of  the  Boxer,  and  then  a  puff  of  smoke  arose 
from  one  of  the  ports,  and  a  shell  went  shriek- 
ing over  their  heads  and  burst  in  the  woods. 

The  crew  of  the  vessel,  in  obedience  to  Frank's 
orders,  had  kept  a  good  look-out  for  them,  and 
hearing   the   yells   of   the    pursuing   rebels,    had 


226       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

at  once  opened  fire.  When  the  smoke  cleared 
away,  Frank  saw  the  crew  of  the  gig  hurrying 
to  their  places.  The  boat  was  lowered  into  the 
water,  and  pulled  rapidly  toward  the  shore.  If 
they  could  but  reach  the  bank  of  the  river  they 
would  be  safe.  At  this  moment  the  rebels  ap- 
peared in  sight,  and  a  volley  from  their  carbines 
sent  the  bullets  about  the  fugitives  like  hail- 
stones. Frank  turned  in  his  saddle  and  fired 
one  barrel  of  his  gun  among  them,  and  was  about 
to  give  them  the  contents  of  the  other,  when 
his  horse  stumbled  and  fell,  throwing  him  at 
full  length  on  the  ground.  Frank  had  been 
expecting  this,  and  for  the  last  half  hour  had 
ridden  with  his  feet  out  of  the  stirrups,  so  that 
in  case  the  accident  did  happen,  he  would  not 
be  entangled  in  the  saddle.  As  it  was,  he  was 
thrown  some  distance  in  advance  of  the  horse, 
which,  too  exhausted  to  rise,  lay  panting  on 
the  ground.  Frank,  however,  instantly  recovered 
his  feet,  and  was  about  to  start  after  his  com- 
panions, when  he  saw  the  coxswain,  with  a  knife 
in  his  hand,  working  desperately  to  free  him- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       227 

self  from  the  saddle  of  his  own  fallen  horse. 
Frank  at  once  sprang  to  his  assistance,  and 
catching  the  knife  from  his  hand,  severed  the 
strap  that  confined  him,  and  set  him  at  liberty. 
The  coxswain,  as  soon  as  he  had  regained  his 
feet,  ran  up  to  the  horse  which  the  prisoner 
rode,  and  which  had  stopped  the  moment  the 
sailor  fell,  and  pulling  the  guerrilla  from  the 
saddle,  lifted  him  in  his  arms  as  though  he  had 
been  an  infant,  and  ran  toward  the  boat.  The 
rebels  by  this  time  were  within  easy  rifle-range, 
and  in  spite  of  the  shells  that  burst  about  them, 
seemed  determined  to  effect  the  release  of  their 
leader,  until  one  more  accurately  aimed  than 
the  others,  exploded  in  their  very  midst,  cutting 
down  horses  and  riders  with  terrible  slaughter; 
another  and  another  followed,  and  when  Frank 
and  his  companions  stepped  into  the  gig,  the 
rebels  were  in  full  retreat.  When  they  arrived 
on  board  the  vessel,  the  coxswain  delivered  his 
prisoner  to  the  master-at-arms,  who  ironed  him, 
and  lodged  him  safely  in  the  brig. 
Their    long    ride   had   taxed   their  endurance 


228       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

to  the  utmost;  but,  by  the  next  day,  they  had 
fully  recovered  from  their  fatigue,  and  shortly 
after  dinner  Frank  ordered  the  officer  of  the 
deck  to  have  all  hands  mustered.  The  crew 
speedily  assembled  on  the  quarter-deck,  and 
among  them  stood  the  coxswain,  who,  at  a  motion 
from  Frank,  stepped  out  from  among  his  com- 
panions, holding  his  cap  in  his  hand,  and  look- 
ing altogether  like  a  man  who  expected  "a  good 
blowing  up"  for  some  grievous  offense.  But  he 
soon  found  that  he  was  not  to  be  reprimanded, 
for,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  Frank  proceeded 
to  give  the  officers  and  crew  a  full  account  of 
tlie  fight  at  the  house,  speaking  in  the  highest 
terms  of  the  old  sailor's  bravery.  He  then  ad- 
dressed the  coxswain,  saying: 

"Now,  Tom,  what  can  I  do  for  you?  What 
do  you  want?  Would  you  like  a  leave  of  ab- 
sence, to  go  home  and  visit  your  friends?" 

"Avast  heavin'  there,  Cap'n  Nelson,  if  you 
please!"  answered  the  coxswain,  hastily.  "I  was 
brought  up  on  board  a  man-o'-war,  sir,"  he 
continued,   whirling  his   cap   in  his  hand,   "an' 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       229 

have  follered  the  sea  for  goin'  nigh  on  to  thirty- 
five  year,  but  this  is  the  first  time  I  ever  had 
my  cap'n  say,  'Thank  ye,  Tom,'  to  me  for  doin' 
my  duty,  I  an't  the  only  chap,  sir,  that  wouldn't 
see  harm  come  to  you.  There's  many  a  man 
in  this  crew  that  would  have  done  the  same 
thing,  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life.  As  for  home 
an'  friends,  sir,  I  have  none.  But,  cap'n,  there's 
one  favor  I  have  thought  of  askin'  you  for. 
There's  no  gunner's-mate  on  board  this  vessel, 
an'  I  think  I  can  take  charge  of  the  magazine — 
don't  you,  sir?" 

This  was  a  small  reward  for  a  man  to  ask  of 
the  captain,  who  would  gladly  have  granted 
him  any  favor  in  his  power;  but  promotion 
on  board  ship,  among  the  men,  is  given  only 
to  the  most  deserving,  and  the  old  sailor  made 
this  request  with  a  timidity  he  had  never  shown 
before  an  enemy;  and  even  after  he  had  made 
it,  he  regarded  his  officer  as  though  he  fully 
expected  a  refusal.  But  Frank,  who  could  scarcely 
refrain  from  smiling  at  the  man's  earnest  man- 
ner, turned  to  Archie  and  said: 


230       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"Paymaster,  please  rate  Thomas  Willis  on  your 
'books  as  gunner's-mate  from  the  time  the  other 
mate  was  discharged." 

This  was  something  more  than  the  coxswain 
had  expected.  The  former  gunner's-mate  had 
been  discharged  from  the  service  nearly  two 
months  before,  and  this  gave  the  old  sailor  a 
considerable  amount  of  back  pay.  Frank  had 
delayed  the  appointment  of  a  gunner's-mate, 
not  because  he  did  not  need  one,  but  because 
there  were  many  good  men  among  his  crew, 
and  he  wished  to  give  the  appointment  to  the 
most  deserving,  and  thus  make  promotion  some- 
thing worth  working  for.  Frank  then  dismissed 
the  men,  who  returned  to  the  lower  deck,  fully 
satisfied  in  their  own  minds  that  "Cap'n  Nelson 
was  the  best  man  any  crew  ever  sailed  under." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      231 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A   REBEL   TRICK. 

The  next  clay  Frank  and  the  major  made 
out  their  reports  of  the  expedition.  The  former's, 
as  usual,  was  short  and  to  the  point,  conveying, 
in  a  few  lines,  the  information  that  their  object 
had  been  accomplished.  He  described  the  fight  in 
the  house  as  a  ''short  skirmish,"  and  made  it 
appear  that  their  success  was  owing  to  the  gal- 
lant behavior  of  the  major,  Archie,  and  the  cox- 
swain. In  fact,  one,  to  have  read  the  report, 
would  have  supposed  that  Frank  had  been  merely 
a  looker-on,  instead  of  one  of  the  principal  actors. 
But  the  major  went  more  into  details,  and  the 
part  Frank  had  taken  in  the  fight  was  described 
in  glowing  language,  and  his  bravery  highly 
complimented.  While  thus  engaged,  the  orderly 
entered  the  cabin  and  reported  a  small  party 
of  rebels  approaching  with  a  flag  of  truce.    Frank 


232       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

went  on  deck,  and  saw  several  men  galloping 
toward  the  vessel,  waving  a  white  flag,  to  attract 
their  attention.  When  they  reached  the  top  of 
the  bank,  they  dismounted  from  their  horses, 
and  appeared  to  be  waiting  for  some  one  to 
come  ashore. 

For  some  moments,  Frank  was  undecided  how 
to  act.  He  remembered  that  he  had  once  been 
sent  on  shore  with  a  flag  of  truce  which  had  not 
been  respected,  he  having  been  detained  a  pris- 
oner, and  he  did  not  like  the  idea  of  receiving 
a  white  flag  from  men  whom  he  knew  would 
not  respect  it  themselves;  besides,  he  had  re- 
ceived no  orders  in  regard  to  conmiunicating 
with  the  rebels,  and  he  did  not  know  whether 
he  had  a  right  to  do  so  or  not. 

"WeU,  major,  what  do  you  think  of  this,  sir?" 
he  asked,  turning  toward  the  scout,  who  stood 
close  at  his  side. 

"It's  a  trick  of  some  kind,  captain,"  replied 
the  latter.    "Depend  upon  it,  it's  a  trick." 

"If  that  is  so,"  said  Frank,  "I  will  try  and 
find  out  what   it   is."     Then,   raising  his  voice, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       233 

he  called  out,  "What  do  you  want  out  there?" 

"I  want  to  come  on  board,"  shouted  one  of 
the  rebels,  m  reply.     ''I  want  to  see  the  captain." 

"Well,  speak  out;  you  can't  come  on  board. 
What  do  you  want?" 

The  rebels  consulted  together  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  then  one  of  them  replied: 

"We  have  a  Yankee  prisoner,  and  want  to 
exchange  him  for  Captain  Thorne.  If  you  will 
let  one  of  us  come  on  board,  perhaps  we  can 
make  some  arrangements  with  you." 

"You  can't  come  on  board,"  shouted  Frank, 
"that's  settled.     But  where's  your  prisoner?" 

"Out  in  the  woods,  under  guard." 

"They've  got  no  prisoner,  captain,"  said  the 
major.  "All  they  want  is  to  see  the  inside  of 
your  vessel,  and  find  out  how  many  men  and  guns 
you  have." 

"Well,  they'll  have  to  go  away  without  accom- 
plishing their  object,"  said  Frank.  "I  can't  make 
any  arrangements  for  an  exchange,"  he  shouted, 
"until  I  see  your  prisoner." 

The  rebels  lingered  a  moment,  as  if  in  con- 


234       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

sultation,  and  then  mounted  their  horses  and 
rode  away.  Every  one  who  had  heard  the  con- 
versation laughed  at  the  idea  of  attempting  to 
deceive  Captain  Nelson  with  so  shallow  a  trick, 
and  the  circumstance  was  soon  forgotten  by 
all  except  Frank,  who  knew  that  the  guerrillas 
would  not  abandon  their  project  simply  because 
their  first  attempt  had  failed.  Although  he  made 
no  remark,  he  resolved  to  be  doubly  vigilant, 
and  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency. 

Two  days  afterward  the  dispatch-boat  came 
alongside,  on  her  way  up  the  river,  and  the  major 
took  passage  on  her  for  Cairo. 

"Fm  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  leave  you,  cap- 
tain," said  he,  as  he  stood  ready  to  start,  "for, 
if  I  am  not  very  much  mistaken,  you'll  have 
lively  times  here  before  long.  The  rebels  are 
up  to  something,  depend  upon  it.  Don't  let  them 
catch  you  off  your  guard.     Good  luck  to  you!" 

It  was  lonesome  in  the  cabin  after  the  major 
left,  for  he  was  a  good  companion,  and  both 
Frank  and  Archie  had  become  very  much  attached 
to  him. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       235 

The  dispatch-boat  had  scarcely  left  the  Boxer, 
when  the  officer  of  the  deck  reported  a  canoe 
approaching.  It  came  from  up  the  river,  and, 
by  the  aid  of  the  spy-glass,  they  discovered  that 
it  contained  two  men,  and  was  loaded  with  vege- 
tables. It  was  customary  for  gunboats  to  purchase 
such  provisions  as  they  needed  from  the  people 
who  lived  along  the  banks,  and  in  some  places 
market-boats  were  received  regularly  every 
day.  The  men  were  paid,  either  in  money,  or, 
as  they  generally  preferred,  in  coffee,  flour,  or 
sugar,  from  the  paymaster's  store-rooms;  but 
this  was  the  first  time  the  Boxer  had  ever  been 
visited,  and  this  circumstance,  taken  in  connection 
with  the  flag  of  truce,  made  Frank  suspicious. 

"Shall  we  allow  them  to  come  alongside,  sir?" 
asked  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"Yes,"  replied  Frank,  who  had  already  de- 
termined upon  his  plans,  "allow  them  to  come 
on  board,  if  they  wish  to  do  so;"  and  here  he 
gave  the  officer  a  few  rapid  orders,  which  the 
latter  hurried  below  to  execute.  The  Boxer  had 
a  full  crew  of  sixty-five  men,  who  were  in  an 


236       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

admirable  state  of  discipline;  but  Frank  had 
sent  the  officer  below  to  order  the  most  of  the 
men  into  the  hold,  out  of  sight,  and  to  remove 
the  small  arms  about  the  deck.  The  major's 
warning  was  still  ringing  in  his  ears,  and  the 
young  commander  could  not  rid  himself  of  the 
impression  that  the  market  men  who  were  now 
approaching  were  in  some  way  connected  with 
guerrillas.  If  it  was  a  trick,  he  resolved  to  help 
it  along.  As  the  boat  approached,  it  was  hailed 
by  the  sentinel  on  the  forecastle,  who  asked 
the  men  their  business,  and  was  informed  that 
they  had  "garden  truck"  which  they  wanted 
to  "swap  for  sugar,  flour,  an'  sich  like." 

The  men  were  then  permitted  to  come  along- 
side, and  one  of  them  was  at  once  conducted 
into  the  cabin,  where  a  bargain  was  soon  con- 
cluded, Frank  agreeing  to  take  the  whole  boat- 
load of  vegetables,  and  to  give  the  man  two 
pounds  of  flour,  three  pounds  of  sugar,  and  six 
pounds  of  coffee.  The  young  commander  was  now 
fully  satisfied  that  the  only  object  of  the  men 
in  visiting  the  vessel  was  not  to  dispose  of  their 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       237 

vegetables,  for  the  man  rather  overdid  his  part. 
He  gazed  with  open  mouth  at  every  thing  he 
saw,  in  regular  country  style,  but  it  was  not  natural, 
most  of  his  wonder,  as  Archie  expressed  it,  be- 
ing "put  on,"  The  latter  went  below  to  order 
his  steward  to  procure  the  provisions,  and  the 
man  inquired — 

"Will  yer  let  a  feller  look  about  a  leetle?  This 
is  the  fust  time  I  was  ever  on  a  gunboat." 

"Certainly,"  replied  Archie,  who  had  received 
his  instructions  from  Frank;  "look  about  all 
you  please;"  and  while  the  steward  was  weigh- 
ing the  coffee  and  sugar,  he  accompanied  the 
man  about  the  vessel.  There  were  not  more 
than  a  dozen  sailors  on  deck,  and  most  of  these 
appeared  to  be  asleep, 

"Be  these  all  the  fellers  you'uns  hev  got?" 
asked  the  man. 

"What's  the  use  of  having  any  more?"  replied 
AjTchie,     "There's  no  danger  here." 

"That's  so,"  was  the  answer;  "I  haint  seed 
a  rebel  round  for  more'n  six  months,  dog-gone 
if  I  hev." 


23S       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  man  walked  slowly  about  the  deck,  care- 
fully examining  every  thing  he  saw,  and  acting 
altogether  like  a  backwoodsman  who  had  never 
seen  a  gunboat  before.    Finally,  he  said: 

"I've  heered  as  how  all  these  'ere  boats  hev 
got  hot  water;    has  yourn?" 

''Oh,  yes,  we've  got  plenty  of  hot  water,  but 
it  takes  an  hour  to  screw  the  hose  on,  so  that 
we  can  use  it." 

By  this  time  the  provisions  were  ready,  and 
the  market  men  took  their  departure,  express- 
ing themselves  fully  satisfied  that  it  wouldn't 
be  a  "healthy  job"  for  any  rebels  to  attempt 
the  capture  of  the  Boxer,  and  promising  to  be 
on  hand  the  next  day  but  one  with  more  "gar- 
den truck." 

As  soon  as  their  boat  was  out  of  sight,  the 
hatches  were  raised,  the  crew  poured  up  out  of 
the  hold,  and  in  a  short  time  the  Boxer's  deck 
presented  its  usual  appearance  of  neatness  and 
order.  Frank's  object  had  been  accomplished, 
for  the  market  men  had  gone  away  satisfied 
that  twenty  determined  men  could  easily  effect 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       239 

the  capture  of  the  gunboat,  and  they  seemed 
determined  to  make  the  most  of  what  they  had 
seen.  Gaines's  Landing  had  been  a  regular  mail 
station,  and  the  rebels  had  only  been  deterred 
from  sending  it  across  the  river  by  the  presence 
of  the  Boxer.  The  market  men,  however,  had 
discovered,  as  they  supposed,  that  the  vessel 
was  but  poorly  manned,  and  this  being  com- 
municated to  their  leader,  (for,  as  Frank  had 
suspected,  they  belonged  to  a  regularly-organized 
band  of  guerrillas),  the  latter  determined  to 
dispatch  his  mail  at  once. 

That  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  as  Frank  and 
Archie  sat  in  the  cabin  reading,  the  orderly  re- 
ported that  lights  were  seen  moving  about  on 
shore.  This  was  something  unusual,  and  when 
Frank  had  watched  the  light  for  a  moment,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  rebels  were 
making  some  movements,  the  nature  of  which 
he  was,  of  course,  unable  to  determine;  but 
he  resolved,  if  possible,  to  find  out  what  was 
going  on,  and  turning  to  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
ordered  the  cutter  to  be  called  away  and  furnished 


240       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

with  an  armed  crew.  This  order  was  speedily 
and  quietly  executed,  and  when  the  boat 
was  ready,  Frank  and  his  cousin  stepped  into 
it,  and  were  pulled  noiselessly  up  the  river.  The 
place  where  the  light  shone  was  about  half  a 
mile  from  the  vessel,  and  when  they  came  opposite 
to  it,  the  crew  rested  on  their  oars,  giving  only 
an  occasional  stroke  to  keep  the  cutter  from 
floating  down  the  stream,  and  waited  impatiently 
for  the  rebels  to  show  themselves. 

The  light,  which  gleamed  from  the  shore  oppo- 
site to  the  town,  seemed  to  come  from  a  dark 
lantern,  for  it  would  blaze  up  brightly  for  a 
moment,  and  then  disappear.  Presently  an  an- 
swering light  was  shown  from  the  shore  nearest 
to  them,  when  Archie  whispered — 

"There's  a  boat  coming!" 

Frank  listened,  and  could  hear  the  slow,  meas- 
ured strokes  of  oars,  which  grew  louder  and 
louder  as  the  boat  approached.  It  seemed  to  be 
heading  directly  toward  them,  and  in  a  few 
moments  more  it  could  be  dimly  seen,  moving 
through  the  darkness. 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       241 

"Give  way  together!"  commanded  Frank,  and 
the  cutter,  propelled  by  twelve  oars,  shot  along- 
side the  approaching  boat,  and  the  sailors  seized 
the  gunwale  and  held  her  fast.  Resistance  was 
useless.  Three  rebels  quietly  delivered  up  their 
weapons,  and  one  large,  well-filled  mail-bag  was 
stowed  away  under  the  stern  sheets  of  the  cutter. 
The  prisoners  were  taken  on  board  the  Boxer, 
and  delivered  into  the  charge  of  the  master-at- 
arms,  while  their  boat,  a  leaky  affair,  requiring 
constant  bailing  to  keep  it  afloat,  was  uncere- 
moniously allowed  to  sink.  The  light  on  the 
opposite  shore  was  still  showTi,  now  at  shorter 
intervals,  as  if  the  persons  who  were  managing 
it  had  begun  to  grow  impatient.  This  was  the 
source  of  much  merriment  among  the  sailors, 
who  hoped  the  "rebels  would  not  grow  tired 
of  waiting  for  their  mail." 

The  next  day  the  Manhattan  again  came  up 
the  river,  and,  as  she  approached,  made  signals 
for  Frank  to  go  on  board  of  her.  The  gig  was 
called  away,  and  taking  the  reports  of  the  expedi- 
tion, the  young  officer  and  his  prisoners  shortly 


242       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

stood  in  the  presence  of  Captain  Wilson,  who, 
as  soon  as  he  had  secured  the  prisoners,  con- 
ducted Frank  into  the  cabin.  The  latter,  after 
presenting  his  reports,  proceeded  to  give  the  cap- 
tain a  history  of  the  expedition  which  had  re- 
sulted in  the  capture  of  the  guerrilla  chief,  of 
the  interview,  with  the  flag  of  truce,  and  of  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  deceived  the  market 
men  and  captured  the  mail,  upon  hearing  which 
the  captain  sprang  from  his  chair,  and  giving 
Frank  a  hearty  slap  on  the  back,  exclaimed: 

"Well  done,  sir!  well  done!  Then  you  are 
not  entirely  unprepared  to  hear  what  I  have 
to  tell  you.  I  picked  up  a  runaway  darkey 
yesterday,  who  informs  me  that  the  rebels  are 
making  preparations  to  capture  the  Boxer!" 

"1  knew  something  was  going  on,  sir,"  replied 
Frank,  "and  if  that  is  what  they  are  up  to,  they 
will  not  find  me  unprepared." 

"Well,  that  is  what  they  intend  to  do.  They 
have  been  building  two  large  boats,  into  which 
they  are  going  to  put  a  sufficient  force  to  over- 
power you.    The  attempt  is  to  be  made  on  Wed- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       243 

nesday  night.  Of  course,  they  hope  to  be  able 
to  take  you  by  surprise.  This  contraband  I 
picked  up  says  he  worked  on  the  boats,  and  that 
they  will  hold  about  forty  men  each.  I  shall 
not  be  far  off  when  the  fight  takes  place,  although 
I  do  not  suppose  you  will  need  any  assistance." 

The  two  officers  then  began  an  examination 
of  the  mail,  in  hopes  it  would  throw  some  fur- 
ther light  upon  the  movements  of  the  guerrillas; 
but  most  of  the  letters  were  unofficial,  and  not 
a  word  was  said  about  the  proposed  attempt 
to  capture  the  Boxer. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour,  Frank  returned  on 
board  his  vessel,  and  the  Manhattan  steamed 
down  the  river  toward  her  station. 


244       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

HONORABLY  DISCHARGED. 

When  Frank  reached  the  Boxer,  he  sent  for 
the  executive  officer,  told  him  of  what  he  had 
heard,  and  also  laid  before  him  the  plans  he 
had  adopted  to  defeat  the  rebels,  which  met 
the  hearty  approval  of  that  gentleman.  Frank 
did  not  think  it  best  to  delay  putting  the  vessel 
in  a  state  of  defense,  for  the  rebels  might  make 
the  attempt  at  any  time;  so  he  instructed  the 
executive  officer  to  see  that  the  men  were  kept 
under  cover,  so  that  the  rebels,  if  any  were  on 
the  watch,  might  not  be  able  to  judge  of  their 
numbers.  When  hammocks  were  piped  that  night, 
not  more  than  a  dozen  men  answered  the  call, 
and  when  bedtime  came,  the  sailors  stretched 
themselves  out  on  deck,  ready  to  take  their 
posts  at  a  moment's  warning.  The  guns  were 
all  carefully  loaded,  the  hot-water  hose  got  ready 
for  use,  and  the  anchor  fixed  so  that  it  could 
be  slipped  in  an  instant.     Outside,  the  appear- 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      245 

ance  of  the  vessel  was  not  changed,  the  only 
thing  noticeable  being  the  quantity'-  of  smoke 
that  came  out  of  her  chimneys.  At  eight  o'clock 
Frank  inspected  the  boat,  and  after  seeing  that 
every  man  was  in  his  place,  he  lay  down  on  the 
sofa  in  the  cabin,  without  removing  his  clothes, 
and  fell  asleep.  When  he  awoke,  he  arose  and 
went  on  deck,  just  as  the  ship's  bell  was  striking 
midnight.  It  was  very  dark,  and  the  only  sound 
that  broke  the  stillness  was  the  splashing  of  the 
wheels  of  a  steamer  as  she  went  on  her  way  up 
the  river.  For  an  hour  he  remained  on  deck, 
listening,  but  without  hearing  any  thing  sus- 
picious until  just  as  he  was  about  to  return  to 
the  cabin.  He  had  started  down  the  stairs, 
when  he  heard  a  slight  splashing  ahead  of  the 
vessel,  like  a  heavy  oar  dipped  carefully  into 
the  water.  He  listened  a  moment,  and  the 
sound  was  repeated. 

"There  they  are!  They're  coming,  sure!"  said 
Archie,  who  stood  at  his  cousin's  side. 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Tom,  the  gunner's-mate,  who, 
in  his  eagerness  to  be  the  first  to  announce  the 


246       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

approach  of  the  rebels,  had  remained  on  deck 
during  the  whole  night.    "That's  them,  sir!" 

"Tell  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  call  all  hands 
to  quarters  as  quietly  as  possible,"  said  Frank. 

The  officer  ran  below,  and  the  young  com- 
mander heard  the  sound  again,  still  faint,  but 
nearer  and  more  distinct  than  the  others.  It 
was  well  that  he  had  not  put  off  his  prepara- 
tions to  receive  the  rebels,  for  they  were  cer- 
tainly approaching.  Presently  the  pilots  came  up 
and  took  their  stations  at  the  wheel,  and  a  mo- 
ment afterward  the  executive  officer  came  up 
and  reported  the  crew  ready  for  action.  So 
quietly  had  the  men  been  aroused,  that  Frank 
had  not  heard  them  as  they  moved  to  their  sta- 
tions. Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  sound  of 
oars,  and  suddenly  a  large  flatboat,  crowded 
with  men,  loomed  up  through  the  darkness. 

"On  deck,  there!"  whispered  Frank,  leaning 
over  the  rail  and  speaking  to  a  sailor  on  the  fore- 
castle.    "Slip  that  anchor." 

There  was  the  rattling  of  a  chain  as  this  order 
was  executed,  and  as  the  man  sprang  through 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       247 

one  of  the  ports,  a  sheet  of  flame  covered  the 
forecastle,  and  two  twenty-four  pound  shells 
went  crashing  and  shrieking  among  the  rebels. 

The  pilots  rang  the  bell  for  the  engineers  to 
"come  ahead,"  and  as  the  Boxer  turned  out 
into  the  river,  thus  brmging  her  broadside  guns 
to  bear  on  the  boat,  two  more  shells  completed  the 
ruin.  The  rebels  were  caught  in  their  own  trap. 
Their  boat  was  sinking,  half  their  number  either 
dead  or  wounded,  and  all  who  were  able  to  swim 
were  springing  into  the  water  and  making  for 
the  nearest  shore. 

It  was  so  dark  Frank  could  not  see  the  havoc 
that  had  been  made  among  the  guerrillas,  and 
he  was  about  to  give  them  another  broadside, 
when  he  heard  loud  cries  for  quarter.  That 
boat  was  disposed  of,  and  he  turned  to  look  for 
the  other,  (for  Captain  Wilson  had  said  there 
were  two  of  them,)  but  it  was  not  to  be  seen. 
As  he  afterward  learned,  the  guerrillas,  having 
been  completely  deceived  as  to  the  force  of  the 
Boxer,  had  crowded  sixty  men  into  one  boat, 
thinking  that  force  sufficient  to  insure  an  easy 


248       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

victory.  After  running  up  the  river  nearly  a 
mile  without  seeing  any  signs  of  the  boat,  the 
Boxer  returned  to  her  station,  and  found  the 
rebel  craft  hard  and  fast  aground.  Her  deck 
was  covered  with  dead  and  wounded,  and  Frank 
at  once  turned  his  attention  to  taking  care  of 
the  latter.  Twenty-three  wounded  guerrillas  were 
conveyed  on  board  the  vessel,  and  delivered 
into  the  charge  of  the  doctor  and  his  steward, 
together  with  nearly  a  dozen  prisoners,  who, 
being  unable  to  swim,  had  not  dared  to  leave 
the  boat.  The  dead  were  left  where  they  had 
fallen.  The  Boxer  then  returned  to  her  anchor- 
age, and  Frank,  feeling  safe  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night,  ordered  hammocks  to  be  piped, 
a  command  which  the  sailors  gladly  obeyed, 
for  their  soft  mattresses  were  much  more  com- 
fortable than  the  hard  deck.  By  the  time  every 
thing  had  been  restored  to  order,  the  quarter- 
master reported  the  Manhattan  approaching. 
Frank  answered  her  signals,  and  as  she  came 
alongside,  Captain  Wilson  sprang  on  board. 
"How  is  it,  captain?"    he  inquired,  as  Frank 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.      249 

met  him  at  the  gangway.  "Mercy!"  he  ex- 
claimed, as  he  entered  the  door  and  saw  the 
wounded  rebels  lying  in  rows  on  the  deck.  "Lively 
while  it  lasted,  wasn't  it?  How  many  men  have 
you  lost?" 

"None,  sir,"  replied  Frank.  "If  the  rebels 
fired  a  shot  at  us,  I  don't  know  it." 

"When  I  heard  the  firing,"  continued  the 
captain,  "I  was  afraid  you  had  neglected  to 
make  preparations  to  receive  them,  and  had 
got  yourself  into  a  bad  scrape.  But  I  see  you 
are  able  to  take  care  of  yourself." 

The  captain  then  returned  on  board  his  vessel, 
which  moved  out  into  the  river  and  came  to 
anchor  at  a  short  distance  from  the  Boxer,  while 
Frank  retired  to  his  room  and  fell  asleep,  well 
satisfied  with  his  night's  work. 

Early  the  next  morning,  a  single  rebel  appeared 
on  the  bank,  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  a  boat 
being  sent  out  from  the  Manhattan,  he  was  con- 
veyed on  board  that  vessel.  In  a  short  time, 
however,  it  returned  and  set  the  rebel  on  board 
the  Boxer. 


250       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

"1  want  permission  to  bury  our  dead,"  said 
the  guerrilla,  on  being  shown  into  the  cabin. 

''You  must  see  Captain  Wilson  about  that," 
replied  Frank.  "I  have  no  authority  while  he 
is  here." 

"I  have  just  been  to  see  him,"  replied  the 
rebel,  "and  he  sent  me  to  you.  He  says  you 
command  this  station." 

This  was  a  compliment  seldom  paid  a  young 
officer;  but  the  fact  was,  Captain  Wilson  was 
so  elated  at  Frank's  success,  that  he  determined 
to  take  every  opportunity  to  make  his  approval 
known.  The  young  commander,  of  course, 
granted  the  request,  and  soon  after  the  Manhattan 
steamed  down  the  river. 

About  a  week  afterward,  a  tin-clad  came  up, 
and  her  captain  came  on  board  the  Boxer  and 
presented  Frank  with  written  orders  to  report 
to  Captain  Wilson  without  delay. 

"I  expect,"  said  he,  "that  you  will  take  my 
old  station.  If  you  do,  you  will  have  your  hands 
full,  for  boats  are  fired  into  every  day;  but, 
somehow,  I  was  always  at  the  wrong  end  of 
my  beat  to  meet  the  rebels." 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       251 

"UTien  the  captain  had  returned  on  board  his 
vessel,  the  Boxer  got  up  steam,  and,  in  obedience 
to  her  orders,  started  down  the  river.  They 
found  Captain  Wilson  the  next  day,  and  Frank 
was  assigned  a  new  station.  His  beat  was  about 
five  miles  in  length,  and  was  a  noted  place  for 
guerrillas.  Steamboat  captains  dreaded  to  pass 
it,  for  their  boats  were  fired  into,  and  often  badly 
cut  up.  The  rebels  had  a  battery  of  three  guns, 
with  which  they  were  constantly  dodging  from 
one  point  to  another,  always  taking  good  care, 
however,  to  keep  out  of  reach  of  the  gunboats. 
On  the  second  day  Frank  arrived  at  his  station, 
and  w^hile  running  idly  about — for  his  orders 
from  Captain  Wilson  were  to  "keep  moving" — a 
steamer  passed  them  on  her  way  up  the  river, 
and  Frank  ordered  the  pilot  to  round-to  and 
follow  her.  The  order  was  obeyed,  but  they 
had  not  gone  more  than  half  a  mile,  when  a  bat- 
tery, mounted  on  a  point  which  ran  for  some 
distance  out  into  the  river,  opened  on  the  steamer. 
The  Boxer  was  at  that  moment  behind  the  point 
and  out  of  sight  of  the  rebels,  who,  however, 


252       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

were  soon  made  aware  of  her  presence;  for  they 
had  scarcely  fired  two  rounds  before  a  shell  dis- 
mounted one  of  their  guns.  Their  surprise  was 
complete,  and  abandoning  their  battery,  they 
ran  into  the  woods  for  protection.  The  Boxer 
rounded  the  point,  all  the  while  shelling  the 
woods,  and  Frank,  seeing  the  guns  deserted, 
landed  with  his  vessel  and  secured  them.  That 
guerrilla  station  was,  for  the  present,  broken 
up.  So  thought  Frank,  who  ordered  the  pilot 
to  proceed  up  the  river  until  he  found  the  Man- 
hattan. The  next  day  the  battery  was  delivered 
up  to  Captain  Wilson,  who  sent  it  by  the  dis- 
patch-boat to  Mound  City,  which  was  then  the 
naval  station. 

From  that  time  hostilities  along  the  river 
gradually  ceased.  The  Boxer  for  nearly  a  year 
ran  from  one  end  of  her  beat  to  the  other  with- 
out encountering  a  single  armed  rebel.  Then 
came  the  news  of  the  glorious  success  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  followed  by  the  intelli- 
gence of  a  general  surrender  of  the  rebel  forces. 
The  Boxer  was  dressed  with  flags,  salutes  fired, 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       253 

and  officers  and  crew  looked  forward  with  im- 
patience to  the  time  when  they  would  be  per- 
mitted to  return  home.  At  length  came  the 
long  expected  order  to  report  to  the  admiral 
at  Mound  City,  where  the  reduction  of  the  squadron 
was  rapidly  going  on. 

Although  Frank  was  impatient  to  see  his  quiet 
httle  home  once  more,  he  was  reluctant  to  part 
from  his  crew,  whom,  upon  his  arrival  at  the 
navy-yard,  he  had  received  orders  to  discharge. 
One  by  one  the  sailors  came  into  the  cabin,  and 
the  hearty  grasp  of  their  hands,  and  the  earnest 
manner  in  which  they  wished  their  commander 
"plain  sailing  through  life,"  showed  that  their 
feelings  were  not  unlike  his  own. 

One  morning,  upon  inquiry  at  the  navy-yard 
post-office,  Frank  was  presented  with  two  official 
documents,  which  proved  to  be  leaves  of  absence 
for  himself  and  Archie  for  three  months.  "At 
the  expiration  of  that  time,"  so  read  the  docu- 
ment, "if  your  services  are  no  longer  required, 
you  will  be  honorably  discharged  from  the  navy 
of  the  United  States.    Acknowledge  the  receipt 


254       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

of  this  leave,  and  send  your  address  to  the  de- 
partment." 

As  soon  as  this  order  had  been  compHed  with, 
the  cousins  began  to  make  preparations  to  start 
for  home.  Their  trunks  had  been  packed  several 
days  before,  in  readiness  for  an  immediate  depart- 
ure, and  in  three  hours  after  the  receipt  of  their 
leaves  they  had  taken  their  seats  in  the  train 
bound  for  Portland,  The  ride  had  never  seemed 
so  long,  nor  had  the  cars  ever  moved  so  slowly; 
but,  in  due  time,  they  reached  the  city  in  safety. 
Frank  remained  but  one  day  in  Portland,  for 
he  was  anxious  to  reach  home.  The  "Julia 
Burton"  still  made  her  regular  trips  from  Augusta 
to  Lawrence,  and  on  the  third  day  he  reached 
the  village.  Brave  was  the  first  to  welcome 
him  as  he  stepped  out  of  the  hack  that  had  con- 
veyed him  from  the  wharf  to  the  cottage,  and 
not  recognizing  his  master,  muffled  up  as  he 
was  in  his  heavy  overcoat,  he  stood  at  the  gate, 
growling  savagely,  as  if  to  warn  him  that  he  had 
ventured  close  enough.  But  one  word  was  suffi- 
cient. The  faithful  animal  had  not  forgotten  the 
sound  of  the  familiar  voice,  and  bounding  over 


FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI.       255 

the  fence,  he  nearly  overpowered  his  master 
with  caresses. 

The  meeting  with  his  mother  and  sister  we 
shall  not  attempt  to  describe.  Those  who  have 
passed  through  similar  scenes  can  easily  imagine 
that  joy  reigned  supreme  in  that  house. 

About  a  week  after  his  arrival  at  home,  Archie 
Winters  and  his  parents  reached  the  village, 
the  latter  having  "taken  a  holiday"  in  honor 
of  the  young  paymaster's  safe  return.  The 
cousins  spent  their  furlough  in  visiting  their 
old  hunting  and  fishing-grounds,  and  in  calling 
upon  their  friends.  George  and  Harry  Butler 
had  returned,  the  former  with  an  empty  sleeve, 
having  lost  his  arm  in  the  Battle  of  the  Wilder- 
ness. But  all  their  companions  had  not  been 
as  fortunate  as  themselves.  More  than  one  had 
been  offered  upon  the  altar  of  their  country, 
and  many  a  familiar  face  was  missing. 

At  the  expiration  of  their  three  months'  leave, 
Frank  and  Archie  received  their  honorable  dis- 
charges from  the  service,  the  sight  of  which 
recalled  vividly  to  their  minds  many  a  thrilling 


256       FRANK  ON  THE  LOWER  MISSISSIPPI. 

scene  through  which  they  had  passed.  How- 
changed  the  scene  now  from  that  when  they 
had  first  bid  adieu  to  their  homes,  to  join  the 
ranks  of  their  country's  defenders!  "Then  a 
gigantic  rebelhon  was  in  progress;  armed  men 
sentineled  each  other  from  Virginia  to  the  Rio 
Grande;  and  the  land  was  filled  with  the  crash 
of  contending  armies.  Now,  the  rebel  forces 
are  vanquished,  their  banner  in  the  dust;  the 
slave  empire  that  was  to  rise  upon  the  ruins 
of  the  Republic  is  itself  in  ruins;  and  the  soldiers 
and  sailors  of  the  Union,  returning  their  weapons 
to  the  arsenals,  have  exchanged  their  honored 
blue  for  the  citizen's  garb,  and  resumed  their 
peaceful  avocations,  as  modest  and  unassuming 
as  though  they  had  never  performed  the  deeds 
of  valor  that  have  filled  the  whole  civilized  world 
with  wonder." 

Frank  and  Ai-chie  are  proud  of  the  part  they 
have  borne  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and 
will  never  forget  their  varied  and  eventful  ex- 
perience in  the  Mississippi  Squadron. 

THE   END. 


Alger  Series  for  Boys 

The  public  and  popular  verdict 
for  many  years  has  approved  of 
the  Alger  series  of  books  as  among 
the  most  wholesome  of  all  stories 
for  boys.  To  meet  the  continued 
demand  for  these  books  in  the 
most  attractive  style  of  the  bind- 
er's art,  we  have  made  this  special 
edition  in  ornamental  designs  in 
three  colors,  stamped  on  side  and 
back.  Clear,  large  type  is  used  on 
superior  super-finish  paper.  The 
elaborate  designs  are  stamped  up- 
on binder's  English  linen  cloth,  with  side  and  back  titles 
in  large  letterings.     Each  book  in  printed  wrapper. 


1  Adrift  in  New  York 

2  Andy  Gordon 

3  Andy  Grant's  Pluck 

4  Bob  Burton 

5  Bound  to  Rise 

6  Brave  and  Bold 

7  Cash  Bov,  The 

8  Chester  Rand 

9  Cousin's  Conspiracy,  A 

10  Do  and  Dare 

11  Driven  From  Home 

12  Erie  Train  Boy 

13  Facing  the  World 

14  Five  Hundred  Dollars 

15  Frank's  Campaign 

16  Grit;  The  Young  Boatman 

17  Herbert  Carter's  Legacy 

18  Hector's  Inheritance 

19  Helping  Himself 

20  In  a  New  World 

21  Jack's  Ward 

22  Jed,  the  Poor  House  Boy 

23  Joe's  Luck 

24  Julius,  the  Street  Boy 

25  Luke  Walton 


26  Making  His  Way 

27  Mark  Mason's  \  ictory 

28  Only  an  Irish  Boy 

29  Paul,  the  Peddler 

30  Phil,  the  Fiddler 

31  Ralph  Raymond's  Heir 

32  Risen  from  the  Ranks 

33  Sam's  Chance 

34  Shifting  for  Himself 

35  Sink  or  Swim 

36  Slow  and  Sure 

37  Store  Boy,  The 

38  Strive  and  Succeed 

39  Strong  and  Steady 

40  Struggling  Upward 

41  Tin  Box,  The 

42  Tom,  the  Boot-Black 

43  Tony,  the  Tramp 

44  Try  and  Trust 

45  Wait  and  Hope 

46  W.  Sherwood's  Probation 

47  Young  Acrobat 

48  Young  Adventurer,  The 

49  Young  Outlaw 

50  Young  Salesman 


For  Sale  by  all  Book    and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  to  any  address 

•n  the  U.  S..  Canada  or  Mexico,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price 

60c  each,  in  currency,  money  order  or  stamps. 

M.  R.  Donahue  &  Co.  *"T«fcTM™*' 


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